State Representative Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) reacted to Thursday’s announcement by State Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) that she intends to run for Speaker of the House for the 102nd Illinois General Assembly this coming January, challenging longtime House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who has served as Speaker all but two years since 1983. Kifowit is one of seven Democratic members of the House of Representatives who have publicly called on Speaker Madigan to resign since the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed the charges in the deferred prosecution agreement with utility giant Commonwealth Edison in July:
“I am encouraged to see members of Madigan’s party realize he has been in power too long. There is a lot of, at best, questionable activity surrounding the Speaker and his organization. The ongoing federal investigation into his role in the ComEd bribery scandal is just the latest example. It’s time for a new direction. The decades old “Chicago way” of politics synonymous with corruption is not acceptable.”
Representative Sosnowski serves the 69th District which includes portions of Winnebago and Boone Counties.