Crowe Resigns Senate Seat to Take U.S. Attorney Post
Sen. Rachelle Crowe resigned Wednesday to be sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Metro East Senator Rachelle Crowe resigned Wednesday to officially take office as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Crowe was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month.
From a news release:
State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe was recently confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Leading up to her swearing in, she released the following statement after resigning from the Illinois Senate Wednesday:
“Since joining the Senate in 2019, I’ve felt overwhelming support from my family, my colleagues in the General Assembly and the Metro East community—my heart is full of gratitude as I submit my resignation.
“I will cherish the partnerships and friendships that grew in my time in the Illinois Senate as we worked to advocate for change, update laws and improve our great state together. While serving the diverse communities of the 56th District was often challenging, I was overjoyed to see how we are united in our fight to enhance opportunities for families across the state.
“I am forever grateful to families of the 56th District for giving me the opportunity to serve, and I thank you all for your encouragement and thoughtfulness over the years. I love Illinois, and I look forward to continuing my work in public service in my new position.”
Senator Crowe submitted her formal resignation Wednesday, June 15 and was effective as of 10 a.m.
Senate President Don Harmon called Crowe a “rising star.”
“Rachelle Crowe is a rising star who has been a strong voice for the people and communities she represented and the issues they care about. She will be a fantastic U.S. attorney, and I look forward to following her successful career,” Harmon said in a statement.
Crowe has withdrawn from her campaign for re-election, but will still appear on the June 28 primary ballot. Her redrawn 56th District seat made her one of the most endangered Democrats in Springfield. Donald Trump won the district by 3 percentage points in 2020, though JB Pritzker did beat Bruce Rauner in the district in 2018.
Crowe will likely be replaced in the Senate and on the November ballot by Madison County Sheriff’s Captain Kris Tharp. Tharp has created a new campaign committee, but declined comment when reached by The Illinoize.