* Press release…

The Democratic Party of Illinois today announced that Mary Morrissey has been named its new executive director.

Morrissey previously served as the Democratic Party’s chief operating officer, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization and helping to elect Democrats to office throughout Illinois in the 2018 general election.

“I am honored to be the new executive director of the Democratic Party in Illinois,” Morrissey said. “Illinois has so many passionate advocates who share the values of the Democratic Party, and I am committed to reaching out to them and people of all backgrounds and beliefs to make a better Illinois.”

Morrissey was unanimously recommended for the position by the four chairs of the search committee that was formed to name a new executive director, which includes all of the state central committeewomen representing the Democratic Party in Illinois. In their recommendation letter, the four committee chairs also recommended they work with the new executive director to help develop a structure and revised mission for the organization.

“I am very pleased that Mary Morrissey will be leading the effort in Illinois to support the policies of the Democratic Party to help improve peoples’ lives across our state,” said Karen Yarbrough, one of the four co-chairs of the executive director search committee. “Mary started at the Democratic Party of Illinois under challenging circumstances, kept operations running and led the party to a statewide sweep last November. She has the leadership we need to keep us moving forward.”

“As President of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association and a Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, I have worked with and seen the effort Mary Morrissey has done to increase collaboration between the state and local party organizations,” said Kristina Zahorik, State Central Committee member from the 14th Congressional District. “Our strong partnership between the two statewide organizations is incredibly important to better communicate and serve voters in communities across Illinois.”

“I am thrilled that Mary Morrissey will continue her work with the Democratic Party as executive director,” said Vivian Robinson, State Central Committee member from the 15th Congressional District. “Mary and I have worked closely together to enhance the reach of the Democratic Party in Southern Illinois, hosting candidate trainings and increasing visibility, and I look forward to working with her to recruit, train and support Democratic candidates and activists leading into the 2020 election.”

As chief operating officer of the Democratic Party, Morrissey increased the state party’s coordination and support for Democratic candidates running in local, legislative, statewide and Congressional campaigns throughout the state. Morrissey engaged and mobilized voters throughout the state against dangerous policies out of the White House, improved the Party’s communications and organized candidate trainings.

“Mary Morrissey brings a lifetime of work supporting and advocating for the principles and ideals of the Democratic Party,” said Michael J. Madigan, chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. “This appointment reflects a continued commitment to creating a stronger and better culture in the Democratic Party throughout Illinois.”

Morrissey was also recommended for the post by Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, who served as interim executive director of the organization in the lead up to the 2018 election.

“After working closely with Mary last year to strengthen the Democratic Party of Illinois and elect candidates statewide, I am confident she is the best choice to serve as the party’s new executive director,” Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell said. “At the party and as a legislator, I witnessed firsthand Mary’s commitment to enacting the policies that reflect the values of the Democratic Party and look forward to seeing how she will continue advancing this important work as executive director.”

Prior to joining the Democratic Party of Illinois, Morrissey served for eight years as deputy chief of staff for policy and legislative affairs for former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. She led the attorney general’s legislative agenda in the General Assembly, including negotiating landmark laws to improve the response of Illinois law enforcement to sexual assault survivors.

Morrissey previously served as political director and campaign manager for former Attorney General Madigan’s 2010 successful re-election campaign. Morrissey also previously operated her own consulting firm developing advocacy campaigns for a variety of national and state organizations, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, Cover the Uninsured Week, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Pharmacists Association. Morrissey began her career in the Legislative Staff Internship Program and Illinois House Democratic staff and is a veteran of many county, legislative and statewide campaigns.

She is top notch without a doubt. But she’s also a solidly loyal Madigan person, so it seems MJM is regaining full control of the party apparatus.