Michael Madigan

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Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician who was the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving leader of any legislative body, state or federal, in the history of the United States. From 1983 until 2021, he held the position for all but two years. Considered the state's political boss, Madigan was a powerful figure in the Democratic Party of Illinois until his resignation from office in 2021. He was later convicted of bribery, wire fraud, and other criminal offenses arising from his time in office. The son of a Democratic precinct captain from Chicago's 13th ward, Madigan began his career working within Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley's administration. First elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970, he was reelected nine times and represented a portion of the city's South Side. At the time of his resignation, Madigan was the Illinois House's longest-serving member and the last legislator elected before the 1980 Cutback Amendment. He was also the chair of the state Democratic party for over 22 years, from 1998 until 2021. Called "one of the most powerful men in Illinois history," Speaker Madigan controlled all redistricting in the state for several decades and ran an extensive patronage network that spanned state and local bodies. Due to his clout in state politics, Madigan was nicknamed "The Velvet Hammer" and "The Real Governor of Illinois." Rich Miller, editor of Capitol Fax, noted that "the pile of political corpses outside Madigan's Statehouse door of those who tried to beat him one way or another is a mile high and a mile wide." In a blow to his dominance, Madigan was denied an eleventh consecutive term as speaker by his fellow Democrats following the 2020 election. A...