Credit Capitol News Illinois
Two new Democratic Senators were sworn in Saturday to fill vacancies in the Illinois General Assembly.
Doris Turner, a former Springfield city councilperson, and Mike Simmons, former policy director for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, are also the two newest members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.
The two Democratic appointments to the Senate follow the recent selections of Adriane Johnson, Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Sally Turner to vacancies in the 30th, 20th and 44th Senate Districts, respectively. They’ve replaced retiring senators through appointments from party officials.
Mike Simmons
Simmons fills the vacancy left by former Sen. Heather Steans, who resigned at the end of January from her seat representing the 7th Senate District on Chicago’s north side.
New Democratic state senators sworn in Democratic state Sens. Mike Simmons and Doris Turner
Updated 2/8/2021 3:54 PM
SPRINGFIELD Two new Democratic Senators were sworn in Saturday to fill vacancies in the Illinois General Assembly.
Doris Turner, a former Springfield City Council member, and Mike Simmons, former policy director for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, are also the two newest members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.
The two Democratic appointments to the Senate follow the recent selections of Adriane Johnson, Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Sally Turner to vacancies in the 30th, 20th and 44th Senate Districts, respectively. They ve replaced retiring senators through appointments from party officials.
SPRINGFIELD â Springfield attorney and businessman Don Tracy, the former head of the Illinois Gaming Board, was elected chairman of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday.
Tracy, 70, will fill out the remaining two years of Tim Schneider s four-year term. The 65-year-old Schneider of Bartlett had been chairman since 2014, taking over for Jack Dorgan.
Tracy beat out Mark Shaw, the Lake County Republican Party chairman and president of the Republican County Chairmen s Association of Illinois, and Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder.
Tracy becomes the first chairman from downstate since Donald Doc Adams of Springfield. The former chairman of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission who also served on the State Board of Elections, Adams tenure as GOP head lasted from 1973 to 1988.
I really don’t like this “get re-elected and quit and name your replacement” thing, but I also don’t know what to do about it.
I’m getting more than a little tired of the practice of running for reelection and announcing retirement shortly after being sworn into a new term. Maybe show more respect for the voters and let them choose your replacement?
@Ron Burgundy- Special Elections, at least for the house. I know people hate them but it is an incentive to stop this type of behavior.
Agree NIU Grad and Ron Burgundy
To be fair, the election cycle is incredibly long and circumstances changes. Plus, let’s try to remember elected officials are human beings too.