Gillespie Leaving Senate for Pritzker Cabinet
Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) is resigning from the Senate to become Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.
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Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) will resign from the Senate to join the Pritzker administration as Director of the state Department of Insurance, the Governor’s office announced Monday.
Gillespie will replace Dana Popish Severinghaus, who is leaving the position next week.
“It’s an honor to be asked to serve the state of Illinois in this new capacity, and I am eager to begin working with the Department of Insurance to make sure the system works for Illinois consumers,” Gillespie said in a statement provided by the Governor’s office. “My experience in the healthcare field underlies decades of advocacy and public service, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue that work.”
Gillespie, an attorney, spent much of her career working in the health care industry. She was elected to the Senate in 2018 when she defeated Republican Sen. Tom Rooney.
She didn’t return a message Monday and no exact resignation date has been announced, but the Governor’s office claimed she would begin in her role as Acting Director in “mid-April.” Her appointment would require Senate approval.
Her Senate seat is not on the ballot in November, but her resignation will trigger an election for an unexpired term this fall.
It isn’t clear yet whether the two Democratic Representatives in the district, Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) or Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights), will seek the appointment to Gillespie’s seat. Though a Democrat we spoke to Monday believed Canty, a freshman legislator who has worked hard to raise her profile in her first term, is likely to get in the mix. She did not return messages seeking comment Monday.
Republicans would also have the opportunity to slate a candidate for November, though they consider the district an “uphill battle.” It is former Republican Sen. Matt Murphy’s old district, but was shifted east in redistricting to make it safer for Democrats. President Biden won the district by 21 points in 2020 and Hillary Clinton won the district by around 19 points in 2016. Governor Pritzker won it by 22 points in 2022.
What is the Department of Insurance, you may be asking? Here’s the definition from the Governor’s office: “The Illinois DOI regulates insurance industry behavior in Illinois, protecting consumers and fostering a competitive marketplace.”
