Local Democrat state representatives continue to remain quiet over their positions on the future of House Speaker Michael Madigan despite 19 fellow Democratic state legislators vowing not to vote for his re-election to the post.
Representatives Katie Stuart (D-112th) and Latoya Greenwood (D-114th) did not respond to questions on their views. State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) also has not stated publicly whether he would support Madigan for Speaker.
By not speaking out, the House Republican Organization says the three Metro East representatives "remain firm in their support of their embattled leader."
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Northlake), the House Democratic Caucus Chair, became the latest Democrat to go on record saying she wouldn't vote for Madigan when the regular legislative session begins in January. Madigan has been speaker for all but two years since 1983.
"As the House Democratic Caucus Chair, this decision was not made lightly,” Willis, who represents a district that includes suburban Chicago Du Page County, wrote in a letter.
"I feel strongly that our caucus has a lot of hard work to accomplish in the upcoming legislative session and we need to put the distraction that has been created by Representative Madigan behind us and move forward in mending the State of Illinois.”
So far, Willis is the most highly placed of the 19 Democrats, incoming and incumbent, who have announced they will not support the reelection of Madigan. This will leave him six votes short of 60 needed to keep the position.
"Metro-East voters rejected Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan and his corrupt inner circle in the November election," yet Stuart, Greenwood and Hoffman have not made any public announcement, says a press release from the House Republican Organization.
"In November, voters replaced two status-quo metro-east state representatives with reform-minded public servants," the release says in reference to the election of Republicans Amy Elik over incumbent Monica Bristow of Alton, as well as David Friess over incumbent Nathan Reitz of Red Bud.
"Reps. Greenwood, Hoffman, and Stuart should heed the wake-up call and publicly state who will receive their first vote – “Public Official A” Mike Madigan or a new candidate,” the release says.
Federal prosecutors indicted a close aide of Madigan and three others on charges of bribery over allegations that individuals linked to the electric utility Commonwealth Edison handed out jobs, contracts and money to allies of the speaker in an attempt to influence him.
Madigan was identified as the 'Public Official A' in a 50-page indictment filed Nov. 18 against the speaker's close ally, Michael McClain, former ComEd chief executive Anne Pramaggiore, one time ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and Jay Doherty, former consultant to the company who resigned as City Club of Chicago president last December.
All four deny the allegations while Madigan says he has no knowledge of the claimed influence peddling.
House Republicans noted the number of Democrats who have publicly stated they will not support the speaker's re-election "citing the federal investigation and the need for new leadership amid the challenging times the state faces. Yet, Greenwood, Hoffman, and Stuart remain Madigan’s silent partners."