Madigan’s Path to Remain Speaker Getting More Complicated
House Speaker Michael Madigan has at least 8 defectors among his caucus in his bid for another term leading the chamber.
As if a federal investigation into his role in a bribery scheme and being the butt of millions of dollars in campaign ads weren’t enough, House Speaker Michael Madigan may be in danger of losing his post as Speaker. Madigan has been Speaker all but two years since 1983.
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) announced on his Facebook page this weekend that he would not vote for Madigan to receive an unprecedented 19th term leading the chamber.
“[The House] can no longer be led by a Speaker who is uniquely and completely distrusted by the people in our state,” wrote Morgan. “Mike Madigan has irreparably breached the trust of the people of Illinois and he cannot lead us any longer.”
Morgan becomes the 8th Democrat who have announced they won’t vote for Madigan for Speaker in January. The 74-seat Democratic majority is expected to shrink by two if all current races remain unchanged due to late-arriving mail in ballots. That means Madigan could “lose” up to 11 Democrats and still retain the Speaker’s office.
Morgan joins Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville, Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn), Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago), Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), and Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) in public announcements they wouldn’t vote for the Speaker.
Kifowit has announced a challenge to Madigan for the Speaker’s office.
A spokesman for Madigan didn’t return a message from The Illinoize.