Tom Doherty (R) was elected the 16th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tuesday night.

Doherty beat T. Jordan Gallagher (D) taking 15,088 votes, which was 54.3 percent of the total vote.

Doherty and his group of about 60 supporters found out the results in Johnny’s Charhouse, 1950 DeKalb Ave.

He was honored to be selected as the next judge.

“I’ll be giving every effort to be the finest circuit judge I can be,” Doherty said.

Doherty said he was thankful for all the support he received.

“I’m a grass-roots guy elected by a grass-roots community,” he said.

Gus Bahramis, DeKalb resident and past client of Doherty, was glad to hear he won.

“He’s a good lawyer and he’ll make a good judge,” Bahramis said.

Christine Kyler, who has worked with Doherty as a legal assistant for the last six years said he has a lot of good qualities that will help him as judge.

“He is extremely non-judgmental and is one of the best listeners I ever known,” Kyler said.

Doherty has had an interesting life going back to his time at NIU.

“At 21 I dropped out of college and was just a goofball kid back then,” Doherty said. He then spent the next six years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

When he came back to DeKalb he went back to NIU and got his Juris Doctorate Degree.