Republican Tanya Hildenbrand, who is vying for the Senate District 57 seat, said House Speaker Mike Madigan is the reason for the state's fiscal problems and that his recent re-election as speaker by House Democrats signals the party is out of touch.
Despite some calls from peers in his own party to step down as speaker earlier this year due to sexual harassment allegations against two of his top campaign operatives, Madigan held onto the speakership with a 35 out of 36 committee members voting to support him.
"After 47 years in office, Mike Madigan is the problem, not the solution to the mess in Illinois and he should not be voted in for Speaker of the House," Hildenbrand told the Metro East Sun.
Tanya Hildenbrand
"Does anyone really believe the man who helped create the fiscal disarray in Illinois is the person to fix it? I don't," Hildenbrand said.
Hildenbrand says the move to keep Madigan as speaker clearly shows just how much lawmakers fail to see the chaos in the state.
"Speaker Mike Madigan's re-election as the Democratic Party Chairman shows a complete misunderstanding of the state of disarray Illinois is in," Hildenbrand said. "Based upon this vote, it appears the Democratic party thinks Illinois is doing great and the status quo should remain."
She said the Democratic party is out of touch with the average Illinois resident.
"The Democratic party appears out of touch with the average Illinoisan who has seen their taxes significantly increase with little to no corresponding benefit," she said.
Hildenbrand, a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve veteran who served 28 years, holds a Bachelor of Science in business and a law degree from the University of Iowa School of Law. She will face off against Democrat Christopher Belt in the November general election.
"We need new people with innovative ideas and that is not Speaker Mike Madigan," she said.
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