Longtime Cook County Circuit Court Judge James Snyder swore in Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker the early afternoon of Jan. 14.
Snyder is gay, and this was the first time an open member of the state's LGBT community has sworn in an Illinois governor, Pritzker's team noted.
"As a judge, I'm deeply honored," said Snyder, who has long known the new governor, a few days before the ceremony. "As a friend, I'm thrilled. It's always an honor when you get to be a 'face' for the community."
Snyder said that the ceremony required little preparation.
"The oaths of office that are required are literally in the state constitution," he explained, adding that the request from Pritzker a few weeks prior was a "wonderful, exciting call."
Snyder was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2007. In June 2018, he was appointed the president of the Illinois Judges Association, which represents some 1,500 active and retired judges across the state.