On Thursday, the legendary political figure sent a letter to the mayor announcing that he would step down as a state deputy he had held since 1971. A second letter to the clerk of the chamber presented Madigan’s resignation, starting today.
“It is no secret that I was the target of cruel attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements by raising up Illinois workers,” said Madigan in part. “The fact is, my motivation to hold an elected office has never wavered. I have been resolute in my dedication to public service and integrity, always acting in the interests of the people of Illinois.”
He went on to say, “I left my position in peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I have made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing that I have made a difference.”
His career began in 1970, when he was first elected to represent the Southwest Side of Chicago. He served as mayor for almost two years since 1983. But Madigan’s reign came to an end as the oldest mayor in the history of the United States. Madigan has served as a speaker for almost two years since 1983. He was replaced in that position by Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who became the first black person in Illinois history to hold that position.
RELATED: Representative Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch replaces Mike Madigan as Mayor of Illinois
“I think we are at a point where we are changing the political history of the state of Illinois,” said Dick Simpson, professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Madigan was the last power still in power.”
Madigan is credited with many achievements in his career, including passing a historic educational reform, raising the minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty and passing the Equality in Marriage Act.
His support collapsed under a federal corruption investigation by ComEd, where he was implicated, but was not charged with a bribery and jobs scheme. Last month, when he realized that he would not be able to win the 60 votes needed to remain mayor, he announced that he would withdraw.
In 2018, support for Madigan began to wane with the #MeToo movement, when he faced sexual harassment issues with his team and under his leadership.
Madigan’s career spanned nine Illinois governors, mayors and eight Chicago presidents. He is one of the last political chiefs of the old days, starting out as district captain under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s machine.
The 78-year-old lawyer, who is also a property tax assessment lawyer, remains the president of the state’s Democratic Party, where he still wields significant political power, with a political war chest.
His voters generally said that they thought he had done a good job on the job.
“I think he did a lot for the community. I voted for him,” said Lindsay Koss, a resident of Garfield Park.
While political opponents highlight how he contributed to the state’s debt, especially underfunded pensions, many residents of the district of Madigan are concerned with more tangible issues and the old school politician who cares for his constituents.
“He did very well for me,” said Mike Oziminski, a resident of Garfield Ridge.
RELATED: ComEd to Pay $ 200 Million in Federal Bribery Investigation; Illinois Mayor Mike Madigan implicated in command
After visiting a COVID-19 vaccination site on Metro East on Thursday afternoon, Governor JB Pritzker said he wished Madigan the best and praised the state’s decision to vote for Welch as Illinois’s first black speaker.
“When you serve for so long and in such a dedicated way in terms of just your own, the number of hours the man has devoted to work, your family can really suffer; it’s a challenge, ”said Pritzker. “I really just want to call them today and say that they really deserve praise for the public service that former President Madigan did.”
When asked about Madigan’s implications for the ComEd investigation, Pritzker said he was “taking his course”.
“The accusations that exist around things like that are not good,” said Pritzker. “I believe it is our job to tell the truth, to be honest, to do the right thing, to serve with integrity.”
WATCH: Governor JB Pritzker responds to Madigan’s resignation
Read Madigan’s full statement here:
“Today I am announcing that I will resign as 22nd district state representative later this month. It was a great honor to serve the people of Illinois as mayor and 22nd district state representative. This journey would not have been possible without my wonderful wife, Shirley, and children, Lisa, Tiffany, Nicole and Andrew, who have been by my side year after year, offering their love and support despite the pressure of growing up in the public spotlight. I am lucky to have them in my life. .
“Fifty years ago, I decided to dedicate my life to public service. Simply put, I knew I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. At the time, I believed and still believe that it is our duty as civil servants to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. and help people who work hard to build a good life. These ideals have been the cornerstone of my work on behalf of the people of Illinois and the driving force throughout my time at the House of Illinois.
“As a spokesperson, legislator and member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention, I worked to make the General Assembly a co-equal branch of government, ensuring that it acted as a brake on the power of the governor and the executive, especially in relation to a governor Many fierce battles have been fought to prevent governors from rewriting the legislation sent to them by the General Assembly.
“I am particularly proud of our work to increase the diversity of voices in the House of Democrats in the House to include more women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community. In my tenure as a speaker for the Illinois House, we have worked to elect representatives from all origins and beliefs to truly represent the interests of the people of our state.
“With the partnership of this diverse and talented group of Illinois Democrats and our colleagues from across the corridor, we were able to level the playing field and strengthen the middle class, while workers in other states have seen their wages decrease.
“We managed to reform school funding to increase investment in underprivileged schools and address inequalities in our state’s educational system. We make Illinois a welcoming state by approving the Illinois Dream Act and providing driver’s licenses to undocumented residents.
“We strengthen workers’ rights, raise the minimum wage, expand access to health care for the most vulnerable residents of Illinois, and protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions.
“We defend the rights of all Illinois residents by approving equality in marriage and, finally, recognizing the rights of men and women to marry the people they love. We enact criminal justice reforms to break laws that often target people of color and led the country in expanding voting rights while other states weakened them.
“Collaborating with leaders in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare and other sectors, we have built a partnership with job creators to encourage economic development and address crises in our unemployment insurance and workers compensation systems. We have also expanded opportunities in tourism and the film industry, created the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority that reinvented McCormick Place and Navy Pier, and established the Illinois Sports Facility Authority that maintained the White Sox in Chicago.
“When we were confronted with the Rauner government and the interests of the rich, who sought to weaken unions and the labor movement in Illinois, we defended the workers.
“Rauner plunged our state into a budget crisis, almost bankrupting social service agencies, eliminating funding for higher education and accumulating billions of dollars in state debt in the process. House Democrats were the last line of defense to protect our collapsing state.
“Under my leadership, we increased the transparency of the state and local government by creating the Freedom of Information Act and protecting it from attempts to dilute it, impeaching Rod Blagojevich and repeatedly reinforcing state ethics and campaign finance laws. “
“It is no secret that I have been the target of cruel attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements by raising Illinois workers. The fact is that my motivation to occupy elective positions has never wavered. , always acting in the interests of the people of Illinois. “
“My achievements would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of many members of my team over the years. I thank them for their efforts on behalf of the House of Democrats and the people of Illinois. I also want to thank many volunteers and supporters who worked on behalf of District 22 residents. It is with the collective support of many that we have made Illinois a stronghold of Democratic values.
“I leave the job alone with my decision and proud of the many contributions I have made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing that I have made a difference.”
Speaker Chris Welch released a statement following Madigan’s announcement and thanked him for his decades of service.
“I thank the ex-president for his sincere and meaningful contributions to our state,” said Welch on Thursday.
“Now we must build on this with a new generation of leadership focused on racial and gender equality in all dimensions, improving government transparency and leading with the kind of conviction, compassion and cooperation expected by our constituents. I sincerely thank you for your contributions and i Join Illinois residents across the state to wish you luck, “he said.
“Today’s news of Rep. Madigan’s retirement is no surprise to me and everyone else in Illinois, and I’ve been looking forward to this ‘new day’ in Illinois for some time now. I urge the Democrats in both chambers and the governor to reflect on how we can use this opportunity to improve Illinois. Representative Madigan’s autocratic government over the decades has not made Illinois a more prosperous or competitive state, “said Illinois Republican House leader Jim Durkin in a statement on Thursday -market.
“Our state is in ruins – financially, structurally and ethically. New ideas and sincere collaboration between the parties is the only way forward,” said Durkin.
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