Democrats Expand Illinois Supermajority as House Speaker Resigns
Democrats swept statewide offices and expanded their legislative supermajority in Illinois, though House Speaker Chris Welch announced his resignation following internal caucus opposition.
Democrats achieved a sweep of statewide offices and expanded their legislative supermajority in the Illinois General Assembly following Tuesday elections. Governor J.B. Pritzker won election to a third term, leading a ticket that shut out Republican candidates. In the U.S. Senate, Juliana Stratton will succeed Dick Durbin.
In the State Senate, Democrats increased their control from 40 to at least 44 seats, while Republicans fell to 12. Notable flips included the seats of Republican incumbents Seth Lewis, Darby Hills, and Erica Harriss. State Representative Nabeela Syed defeated Hills in one of the most expensive statehouse races in history, raising $4.7 million for the campaign.
Despite these victories, internal friction emerged within the Democratic party. Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch announced he will step down from his leadership position following opposition from members of his own caucus. The caucus is expected to select a successor during the upcoming fall session.
In Chicago, candidates backed by the Chicago Teachers Union won at least nine of 21 Board of Education seats but failed to secure a majority. Union President Stacy Davis Gates stated that the organization will continue pushing for state funding of public education, arguing that funding is billions of dollars in arrears.
