 House Speaker Mike Madigan is the most powerful man in Illinois politics.
He controls whether bills live and die. He controls the legislative map. He
controls a property tax law firm that makes millions on the back of his
influence.
But on Nov. 8, Illinois voters proved he can be beaten. Madigan will no longer
control a veto-proof supermajority in the Illinois House.
The election results will likely change what was once the easiest and most
obvious vote for House Democrats – Madigan for speaker – into one of the most
contentious of the legislative session.
Voters in five House districts replaced Democrat seats with Republicans, while
Madigan’s Democrats picked off just one Republican House member.
The Illinois House requires 71 votes to override a veto from Gov. Bruce Rauner.
With the election costing Madigan four seats in the chamber he controls, his
71-member supermajority will drop to a simple majority of 67.
This is a clear rebuke of a man who has held state office since 1971, and who
has served as speaker for 31 of the last 33 years.
On Election Day, Madigan’s Assistant House Majority Leader John Bradley lost to
Republican Dave Severin. Bradley has voted for a Madigan speakership six times.
Democrat state Rep. Kate Cloonen lost to Republican Lindsay Parkhurst. Cloonen
has voted for a Madigan speakership twice.
Democrat state Rep. Andy Skoog lost to Republican Jerry Long. Skoog was
appointed to his seat in 2015 after Madigan’s party operation vetted him.
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In a state where the Republican presidential nominee drew a mere 39
percent of the vote, and where Madigan drew the district lines
himself, these loses are an embarrassing blow to a man known for his
legislative prowess.
But all was not lost for Madigan.
Susana Mendoza, his chosen candidate for comptroller, was victorious
over Republican incumbent Leslie Munger. Mendoza voted Madigan into
the speakership six times during her tenure in the House of
Representatives.
In 2011, she seconded his nomination for speaker of the House. “I’ve
had the privilege to serve under his leadership for 10 years now,
only a quarter of the time that Illinois has benefitted from his
almost 40 years of stewardship,” Mendoza said of the speaker. “Over
the last decade, I have witnessed his skills as a leader and a man
who time and time again has demonstrated his passion and love for
this state and has consistently put Illinois first.”
This is not an opinion most Illinoisans share. Nearly two-thirds of
registered voters in Illinois disapprove of the speaker, according
to recent polling from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.
While Madigan did not retain the Democrat majority needed to
overturn vetoes from Gov. Bruce Rauner, he did retain a strong
majority. This means Democrats will be able to choose the speaker of
the House come January.
There is not a single sitting House Democrat who has ever voted for
someone other than Madigan for the speakership (setting aside 1995,
when the chamber was controlled by Republicans.)
Come January 2017, Illinoisans will see whether that miserable trend
continues, or if lawmakers are ready to listen to their call for
change.
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