Metro East Sun

Dwight Kay still struggles to understand how House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) gets away with everything he thinks he does.

“If he were in the business world, the Department of Human Rights would already be at his front door,” Kay told the Metro East Sun. "He doesn’t allow any questions to be asked about anything he does and that’s a big part of the problem.”

Several lawmakers are calling for Madigan’s resignation after it was publicly alleged that several associates close to him sought to retaliate against Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) for raising questions about his handling of sexual harassment allegations made against an aide.

Dwight Kay

Cassidy is on record asserting she was forced to resign from her part-time job in Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office after she dared to challenge Madigan’s handling of sexual harassment claims in his political and government organizations.

While Madigan recently denied taking any such actions against Cassidy in a letter he wrote to her and is calling for a watchdog group to oversee the ongoing investigation, Kay said everyone has reason to still be leery.

“This is the third time Madigan has been called on the carpet to deal with an issue that should have been dealt with months ago,” said Kay, the Glen Carbon Republican running against Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) in the 112th District. “He’s tried to whitewash everything. I know Cassidy and find her to be a straight shooter, even though she is on the other side of the aisle.”

Kay’s issues with Madigan don’t end there.

“There’s no question in my mind you point the finger at Mike Madigan for much of what’s going wrong in Illinois,” Kay said. “The state is nearly bankrupt, with no reforms and he’s been a part of it all. A lot of people have simply had enough of the name Madigan and are ready for something else.

The 112th House District includes parts or all of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville and O'Fallon.