Mike Madigan is now at least six votes shy of what he would need for another term as Illinois House speaker, but the latest Democratic House member to vow her opposition leads the party’s caucus.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, said on Dec. 1 that she would not vote for Madigan as speaker when the 102nd Illinois General Assembly convenes in January.
Willis makes the 19th House Democrat refusing to back Madigan as a result of his implication in a $1.3 million bribery scandal involving Commonwealth Edison. ComEd’s prosecution agreement brought out an initial group of representatives, but indictments issued Nov. 18 cost him the additional votes needed to prevent him from reaching the required 60 votes out of 73 House Democrats. Accounting for every representative who has publicly stated they will oppose Madigan’s speakership, he is now six votes shy of the minimum for a new term.
State Reps. Jonathan Carroll, Sam Yingling, Will Guzzardi, Daniel Didech, Eva Dina-Delgado and representative-elect Margaret Croke added their names to the list of those wanting Madigan to quit and allow someone else to lead the House after Madigan’s confidant and three others were recently indicted.
State Reps. Kelly Cassidy, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Terra Costa Howard, Maurice West, Bob Morgan, Anne Stava-Murray, Stephanie Kifowit and Lindsey LaPointe previously said they would not re-elect Madigan, with Kifowit announcing she would challenge him for the speakership. State Reps. Deb Conroy, Robyn Gabel, Anna Moeller and Ann Williams sent Madigan a letter asking for new blood.
Madigan received 51 votes on the closed-door first ballot, short of the 60 needed to secure re-election. The next private vote for Speaker is set to take place today, with the first official vote scheduled for Wednesday.
