North Cook News

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) argues no one should be surprised by what appears to be a growing alliance between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).

“Speaker Madigan and his well-oiled political machine helped deliver historic democratic legislative wins in 2018, which provided a glide path for Gov. Pritzker and his agenda in his first two years,” Morrison told the North Cook News. “Madigan and his inner circle know how to ‘work the system’ because they've been atop it for decades.”

A new WBEZ report finds that over his first 18 months in office, the governor has made at least 35 hires from a so-called “clout list” compiled by and supplied to him by Madigan. For many, the partnership has raised eyebrows given Pritzker’s ongoing insistence of independence.

“It's not surprising at all that they'd spread the spoils of electoral victory to their most ambitious campaign operatives,” Morrison countered. “What is surprising is that so many Democratic voters, especially in the suburbs, continue to vote for these machine-backed candidates without doing research beyond the party label. Or, many will vote straight down the ballot based on national or federal issues, ignoring the fact that the Cook County political machine's power here grows larger and stronger by way of these local and state level Democratic candidates and campaigns.”

Morrison said he only sees one way forward if Illinois is to get back on the right track anytime soon.

“To end business as usual – that is, Illinois' endemic corruption, high taxation, and fiscal mismanagement – Democratic voters must split their ballots and vote republican for state and local races,” he said. “If not, voters shouldn't be surprised when the machine remains in power to do its bidding at the public's expense.”