By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch will not seek another term leading the chamber after 26 current and incoming Democratic lawmakers called for new leadership, according to a Friday radio report.
The push for new leadership followed criticism of how Welch handled a sexual harassment case involving a former state lawmaker who resigned in July. Welch, D-Hillside, was first elected speaker in January 2021.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was … the handling of the case and his interactions with her before she was ever a victim,” state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, said on a Friday radio program.
Welch will remain a state representative. He has not been removed from office and continues to serve the remainder of his term in the House.
Some members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus have voiced support for Welch’s leadership style, according to Friday’s broadcast.
House Democrats are expected to choose a new speaker in January, when the General Assembly’s next legislative session begins. The vote will determine who controls the chamber’s committee assignments and legislative agenda heading into the next budget cycle.
