The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Rachelle Crowe as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois on May 17.
Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, said they are pleased with the confirmation.
“After seven years without a confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Ms. Crowe has the qualifications, integrity, and judgment to serve with distinction,” they stated.
Crowe has been an Illinois state senator since 2019 after she was elected in the 56th District and is currently running on the Democratic ticket for the seat she occupies against Republican Erica Harriss, who serves as a Madison County Board member.
"I certainly wish Senator Crowe the best in her future endeavors," Harriss said. "What has not changed is that the people of the Metro East deserve to have their voices heard in Springfield. I am running because the voices of parents, workers, and local business owners need to be the ones that echo in the halls of the Capitol, not those of political insiders."
Crowe will have to resign as state senator to step into her new role as U.S. attorney.
According to a press release from Harriss' campaign, she is currently the only candidate on the ballot competing for the open Senate seat due to Crowe's new appointment, which covers the western portion of Madison County and parts of northern St. Clair County. However, Democrats will have an opportunity to slate a candidate for the seat in the general election in November.
On May 13, Kristopher Tharp, a captain with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, filed papers to run on the Democratic ticket for the 56th District. Madison County’s website lists Tharp as the Jail Administrator.
Tharp’s campaign chair is Madison County coroner Steve Nonn, and his treasurer is Tom Cromer, who is listed as the director of courthouse security on Madison County’s website.
Prior to her time with the state legislature, Crowe received a B.A. from the University of Missouri in St. Louis in 1996 and a J.D. from the Saint Louis University School of Law in 2000.
She began her law career as an associate attorney with Hoagland Fitzgerald Smith & Praintis from 2000 to 2002. She then worked at Riezman Berger from 2002 to 2004 and Carmody MacDonald PC from 2004 to 2006.
Crowe then served as an assistant state’s attorney in Madison County from 2006 until 2018 in the violent crimes, general felony and juvenile abuse units.