Madigan

Dear Neighbor,

Last night, another round of federal charges was announced against close allies and confidants of Mike Madigan, the longtime speaker of the Illinois House.

As you know, our state is facing serious challenges right now — a public health emergency; staggering unemployment; a broken budget; a failed public safety apparatus. I take addressing those challenges very seriously. But as legislators, we just can't do it if you all, the people of our state, don't have faith in our leadership.

The old ways of doing business in Springfield won't cut it anymore. We'll need new, transformative leadership to meet this moment.

That's why this morning I called on Rep. Madigan not to seek re-election as Speaker of the Illinois House. If he does, I will not be voting for him.

I've been talking with colleagues about this decision for months, and as of today I believe that enough of us are voting "no" that he doesn't have a path to be re-elected Speaker.

Now it's time for us to decide on new leadership for next year and the years to come. It's a historic moment, and I look forward to working toward a transformative new direction for our caucus, our chamber, and our state.

Sincerely,

Will