Will the Illinois House elect its first woman speaker? Dems float potential contenders to replace Welch
After this week’s bombshell announcement that Illinois’ first Black House speaker wouldn’t seek a fourth term, Democratic state legislators could blaze another new trail with their selection for the next leader of their chamber.
Five women lawmakers were among the names floated most frequently as the Sun-Times spoke on background with more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and other insiders sizing up potential candidates to replace outgoing House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.
Many said it was time for Illinois to see its first woman speaker to help uproot an entrenched culture of sexual harassment following the Capitol’s latest scandal.
Welch lost the support of most of his caucus in the wake of his delayed response to misconduct allegations against disgraced ex-state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield — just like Welch’s longtime predecessor, imprisoned ex-Speaker Michael Madigan, was felled amid criticism of his inaction on complaints within his political organization.
There has scarcely been a question about the occupancy of the speaker’s office since Madigan first tightened his iron grip on the gavel in 1983. And even for a brief interlude of Republican House control in 1995-96, Lee Daniels was a clear pick to shift from GOP minority leader.
Now, for the first time in four decades, legislators have adequate time to seriously consider a field of representatives to step up in their chamber, without an incumbent or another obvious power player towering over the election for speaker.
Welch was a late entry in the 2021 intra-party race after Madigan’s stunning announcement he was stepping down, prompting a chaotic scramble for votes over the final day of a lame-duck legislative session — a power grab that didn’t even play out in the Capitol itself. Lawmakers were masked and socially distanced in a Springfield convention center in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“By the time [Madigan] suspended his campaign, there were 24 hours for us to make a decision,” said North Side state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, one of the legislators who led the movement for new leadership. “That’s not a healthy way for us to do this.
“We have an actual chance to put thought into this that we didn’t get to before, and to hear from our colleagues about their visions. We have such an array of experience and talent throughout every corner of our caucus,” Cassidy said — noting she’s “not even remotely” interested in the post herself.
Maneuvering behind closed doors will accelerate during the fall veto session that starts Nov. 17, reaching a political crescendo with the speaker's election in January immediately after the 105th General Assembly is sworn in.
The Sun-Times identified just one hat officially thrown into the ring by Friday morning, but plenty more will be in the weeks ahead. Here are eight names to watch, with more guaranteed to follow in the race for 60 votes:
State Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights
Canty, who joined Cassidy in publicly calling for Welch to step aside, chairs the House Democratic Women’s Caucus as she enters a third term representing a district at the center of the Chicago Bears stadium debate. She didn't answer directly Thursday when asked if she'd be interested in the speaker's office: "Maybe now is the time we start looking to our female colleagues. There are so many great members of our caucus."
State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago
Delgado's name stood out on the list of 26 lawmakers who signed a letter Thursday calling for a new speaker, the statement that spelled doom for Welch's tenure. An assistant majority leader for Welch, the Northwest Side representative who just locked up a fifth term has been a key shepherd of state budgets — the chamber's most unwieldy annual legislative lift — and last year she spearheaded landmark transit reform legislation along with another potential speaker contender.
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria
Gordon-Booth serves as another assistant majority leader under Welch who has championed criminal justice reform in the House since first taking office in 2009. She was considered as a potential running mate for Gov. JB Pritzker last year before he tapped Lt. Gov.-elect Christian Mitchell.
State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero
Hernandez's name loomed large on the list of 26 Welch defectors who publicly called for a new speaker. Wielding enormous influence as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois — a post she won with the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker — Hernandez is a deputy majority leader for Welch with 20 years of Capitol experience.
State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago
The North Side legislator ran for speaker in 2021 before joining Welch's leadership team. She chairs the powerful House Executive Committee and has ushered environmental initiatives through the chamber and was a key proponent of legislation creating an elected school board in Chicago.
State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago
Welch's speaker pro tempore and a former mayoral candidate, Buckner runs point on high-profile House issues ranging from the Bears stadium saga to a long-discussed autonomous vehicle pilot. He's a House budgeteer alongside Delgado, with whom he championed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act.
State Rep. Marcus Evans Jr., D-Chicago
The South Side assistant majority leader recently passed a different gavel after a two-year term as president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Evans, who chairs the House Labor & Commerce Committee, told the Sun-Times he was calling his colleagues to ask for their support.
“I’ve observed some of the concerns people had with the previous speaker, and I believe I can do things a little differently,” Evans said. “I have the energy, I have the health. I know we can do great things.”
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea
The longtime downstate legislator provided Welch's biggest competition in the 2021 speaker scramble. Hoffman is an assistant majority leader under Welch who has led the chamber on complex energy issues for most of the past three decades.
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