Mike Madigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Madigan
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Madigan in 2013
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| Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois | |
| In office April 3, 1998 – February 22, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Gary LaPaille |
| Succeeded by | Karen Yarbrough (acting) |
| 67th and 69th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 8, 1997 – January 13, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Lee Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Chris Welch |
| In office January 12, 1983 – January 11, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur Telcser |
| Succeeded by | Lee Daniels |
| Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 11, 1995 – January 8, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Lee A. Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Lee A. Daniels |
| In office January 14, 1981 – January 12, 1983 |
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| Preceded by | George Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Lee A. Daniels |
| Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 12, 1977 – January 14, 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Gerald W. Shea |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Telcser |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office January 13, 1971 – February 18, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Savickas |
| Succeeded by | Edward Guerra Kodatt |
| Constituency | 27th district (1971–1983) 30th district (1983–1993) 22nd district (1993–2021) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Joseph Madigan
April 19, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Shirley Murray |
| Children | 4, including Lisa (adopted) |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) Loyola University Chicago (JD) |
Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician. He was the former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Madigan was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal lawmaking group in U.S. history. He held the Speaker position for almost 40 years, from 1983 to 2021. He served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021. He represented different districts during his time in office.
Chicago Magazine called Madigan one of the most powerful people in Chicago. He was sometimes called "the Velvet Hammer." This nickname meant he was powerful but worked quietly. He was often seen as a very influential political leader in Illinois. He also led the Democratic Party of Illinois for over 20 years.
On January 11, 2021, Madigan announced he would not seek another term as Speaker. On January 13, Chris Welch became the new Speaker. Madigan resigned as a state representative on February 18, 2021.
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Early Life and Political Beginnings
Michael Madigan was born on April 19, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Clearing neighborhood. His father was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. His father also worked for the Cook County Clerk's office. There, he became friends with Richard J. Daley, who later became the mayor of Chicago.
Madigan went to Saint Adrian's Elementary School and St. Ignatius College Prep. He then studied at the University of Notre Dame. In 1965, while studying law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, he met Mayor Richard J. Daley. The mayor helped Madigan get a summer job in the city's law department.
Madigan graduated from law school in 1967. He became good friends with Richard M. Daley, the mayor's son. They both worked together at a political meeting in 1969-70. This meeting helped create the current Constitution of Illinois.
In 1972, Madigan started his own law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner. This firm focused on property tax appeals. In 1976, he married Shirley Murray. He adopted her young daughter, Lisa. Lisa later became the Attorney General of Illinois in 2003.
Leading the Democratic Party
In 1969, at age 27, Madigan became the youngest ward committeeman in Chicago. This meant he was a local leader for the Democratic Party. His ward organization was known for being very organized.
In 1998, Madigan was chosen to be the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. He moved the party's main office to Springfield, Illinois. He held this position until February 22, 2021, when he resigned.
Serving in the Illinois House
In November 1970, Madigan was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. He represented a district on Chicago's southwest side.
Speaker of the Illinois House
Madigan was the Speaker of the Illinois House for many years, from 1983 to 2021. There was a short time, from 1995 to 1997, when another party had control. During that time, Lee A. Daniels was Speaker. Madigan helped his party win back seats in 1996. He then became Speaker again and held the role until January 2021. He is the longest-serving state House speaker in United States history.
Madigan played a key role in drawing the maps for legislative districts in Illinois. This process is called redistricting. He often designed these districts to help his party win more seats.
Some people thought Madigan had too much control over Illinois politics. They sometimes called him the state's "political boss."
In January 2021, Madigan announced he would not continue his campaign for Speaker. On January 13, the Illinois House elected Chris Welch as the new Speaker. Welch was the first African American to hold this position.
Working with Governor Blagojevich
Madigan and Governor Rod Blagojevich often disagreed on state spending. Blagojevich blamed Madigan for budget problems. Madigan believed in careful spending. He suggested smaller increases in spending than the Governor.
Their disagreements were well-known. Senator Dick Durbin even joked that he would rather go to Baghdad than try to mediate between them.
A reporter noted that Madigan was very disciplined and precise. He ran the House in a very organized way. Blagojevich, on the other hand, was seen as more focused on big ideas without always following through.
Their relationship became very difficult in October 2007. Blagojevich fired the wife of Madigan's chief of staff. This made their disagreements even worse.
In December 2008, Madigan began the process to remove Governor Blagojevich from office. This happened after the governor was arrested. Madigan led the House in voting to impeach Blagojevich. The Illinois Senate later removed Blagojevich from office.
Helping People Get Jobs
In 2013, there were reports that Madigan tried to help his supporters get jobs and promotions at Metra. Metra is a commuter train agency. The CEO of Metra, Alex Clifford, said he refused these requests. He claimed the agency's board then wanted him to resign.
After this, five Metra board members resigned. Madigan said he did not break any rules. An investigation found that Madigan's requests could have created expectations.
A 2014 investigation found that many state and local government employees had strong political ties to Madigan. Some people even called a part of the City of Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Department "Madigan Electric."
Campaign Funding
Madigan received many campaign contributions. He admitted that he was more likely to return calls from people who donated to his campaigns.
He received a lot of money from labor unions. Between 2002 and 2012, he received over $670,000 from unions. This included money from groups like AFL-CIO and the Chicago Teachers Union.
Illinois set limits on campaign contributions in 2009. However, politicians could still raise money for different campaign funds. Madigan controlled four different fundraising groups. In 2015, he raised over $7 million. Most of this money came from lawyers and unions.
Tax Policy Ideas
In 2011, Illinois raised its state income tax. Madigan supported this to help the state's budget problems. The tax increase was meant to be temporary.
Madigan often said he preferred increasing income taxes over sales taxes. He also supported a plan to change Illinois's tax rate from a flat rate to a graduated tax rate. This means people with higher incomes would pay a higher percentage in taxes.
In May 2016, Madigan proposed a budget plan that increased spending. This plan passed the Illinois House. However, some people, including Governor Bruce Rauner, said the budget was unbalanced. They estimated it would require a tax increase for families.
Madigan's Law Firm
Madigan is a founder and senior partner at the law firm Madigan and Getzendanner. This firm specializes in helping businesses with their property tax appeals. Some people said the firm benefited from Madigan's political power.
The firm represented many valuable buildings in downtown Chicago. They often got large tax reductions for their clients. Madigan's firm received the biggest tax reductions of any firm in Cook County from 2006 to 2008.
Judges in Illinois are elected. Madigan, as a Democratic Party leader, was involved in choosing judicial candidates. This connection was sometimes seen as a conflict of interest.
The Madigan Family in Government
Madigan and his wife, Shirley, have four children. His oldest stepdaughter, Lisa Madigan, was the Illinois Attorney General from 2003 to 2019. Lisa changed her name to Madigan when she was 18. Shirley Madigan also led the Illinois Arts Council. Madigan's son-in-law, Jordan Matyas, was a chief lobbyist for the Regional Transportation Authority.
In 2002, Madigan helped Lisa raise a lot of money for her campaign for Attorney General. There were some questions about campaign contributions during that time. However, nothing came of these concerns.
Images for kids
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Madigan, around 1977
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Madigan, around 1985
