28 Comments - Ron Burgundy - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 11:35 am: I really don’t like this “get re-elected and quit and name your replacement” thing, but I also don’t know what to do about it. - NIU Grad - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 11:36 am: I’m getting more than a little tired of the practice of running for reelection and announcing retirement shortly after being sworn into a new term. Maybe show more respect for the voters and let them choose your replacement? - kj - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 11:55 am: @Ron Burgundy- Special Elections, at least for the house. I know people hate them but it is an incentive to stop this type of behavior. - wondering wendy - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:07 pm: Agree NIU Grad and Ron Burgundy - facts matter - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:08 pm: To be fair, the election cycle is incredibly long and circumstances changes. Plus, let’s try to remember elected officials are human beings too. Petitions were filed more than a year ago. A lot changes between filing and the actual start of the election season. There’s also an incredible amount of time between the primary and the general, and the general and inauguration. It isn’t always about disrespecting the voters, but more often about a member realizing it might be time for them to move on. - Franklin - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:13 pm: I’m going to miss the confusing labyrinth of special rules and procedures said no one who has had a bill in Jud Civil over the past few years. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:15 pm: Technically, he can’t name his own replacement, as he won’t be on the committee do so. Also, if he stepped down prior to the election or prior to the primary, he could still influence someone to run for the seat (”quit and name your replacement”). - Hmm - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:16 pm: Who will introduce the resolution in the house honoring his service and wishing him well? - Anon - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:16 pm: Yea there really needs to be pushback. Running and getting elected has value. It’s a declarative statement that one wishes to represent you for the next two years. Changing your mind on that within weeks isn’t coincidence. It’s a sad play. - Pizza Man - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:21 pm: Another one? You know this doesn’t look good with the Democrat party. What Rep. Thapedi woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and decided to ‘immediately’ resign? C’mon he knows better. He’s an attorney. We need to fix this and yes, I would argue for this election law change regardless of the party in power. - TNR - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:24 pm: I’m not sure there’s a perfect way to handle this, but I’d feel better if the member retiring wasn’t uber-influential in picking their successor. Thapedi said he’s gonna “take an active role” and Cassidy is trying to engineer a 2-for-1 appointment in which she moves to the senate and helps designates her house successor. When you do that it’s no wonder that average citizens think this is a process for insiders only. - An Idea - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 12:55 pm: After observing the legal, but sometimes distasteful, process of filling vacancies in the General Assembly, the appointment controversy after the passing of Judy Barr Topinka, the controversy that can arise when the Governor of one party appoints an executive vacancy held by another party, and the cost/benefit and timing needs of an election, I believe this problem is best solved by having each candidate name and run with their shadow. The shadow would be on the ballot with the candidate and would only step-in in the case of a vacancy. This person may not hold any other office, must file economic interest statements, must take an oath, and will be paid a minimal amount (say one payment of $50 per year with no pension or group insurance benefits). In the event the shadow becomes the officeholder, the shadow would then have to appoint their own shadow. In the case of a simultaneous death of the officeholder and shadow, the Governor shall appoint a person of the same party as nominated by a listing of three persons from the party’s State committee that was previously holding the office. This way, voters will have had the opportunity to have considered a candidate’s replacement during the election process, the opportunity for political shenanigans in so-called “smoke-filled rooms” is minimized, the Office of the Lt. Governor could be abolished and related cost savings realized, and total overall costs are minimized. - Amalia - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:10 pm: Is Indivisible active in that district? - Just Me 2 - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:13 pm: ===I also don’t know what to do about it.=== Here’s a thought - we could (gasp) have an election to elect our elected officials. - Jefferson T Duncan - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:31 pm: @An Idea, just make them have to serve 51% of their term to be able to appoint someone, or trigger a special election. That way the time spent in office is less than the time spent on the campaign trail and would require only serious candidates run. Also eliminates this within the first year of a two year term resignation nonsense. - Morris Day and the Time - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:40 pm: I’ve never seen a member of the house, not in leadership, send out solicitations for a campaign event where the top donor level was 20k. I’ve also never had a rep insist that the meeting being requested by a lobbyist for a non-profit with a presence in his district, take place in his political office and not his district government office. It sounded like a set up for a shake down. Later Andre. Bye Felicia. - 1st Ward - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:41 pm: Maybe ranked choice voting could alleviate this? If the winner steps down go with the 2nd pick or change the rule so that lawmakers can only resign between the end of the filing deadline for the next election and the day before the election occurs (or a month before the election takes place) with carve-outs for certain medical issues. This doesn’t look like good governance if its happening this often right after an election occurred with the reasoning provided about stress/family events that took place long-before said election took place. - Chicagonk - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 1:51 pm: Really need to move to keeping the seats vacant until a special election can happen. - Perplexed - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 2:03 pm: We can learn from our state’s protocols for congressional vacancies. Mandate special elections for House vacancies and voters can put U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley in office. Provide for gubernatorial appointments for Senate vacancies and voters can get stuck with U.S. Sen. Roland Burris. - Rich Hill - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 2:09 pm: When did the House last have the rate of turnover of the past half decade? Seems like just yesterday that Barbara Flynn Currie was majority leader, but how many Democratic members seated in September of 2021 will have served with her? - Socially DIstant Watcher - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 2:22 pm: @Jefferson: ==or trigger a special election== How many people do you think are going to turn out for a special election? A ballot with one seat on it? And people will complain that whoever picks the actual election date didn’t give people enough time to circulate petitions or to raise money or to build an organization, or this or that or … Whoever won a special election for these seats will have to circulate petitions for the 2022 election this summer. Maybe right after they win the special. People gonna complain about something, but nobody’s got anything better to do. - Just Me 2 - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 2:58 pm: ===How many people do you think are going to turn out for a special election? === Who needs voters anyways? They just get in the way and show things down. - Fav Human - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 3:04 pm: candidate name and run with their shadow I am not sure if this is snark or serious….. - Just Curious - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 3:50 pm: Here’s a thought: if they resign after being re-elected that must seat hold a special election, if not no representation for that district until the next election. - Advocate - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:21 pm: As others have alluded, this is an opportunity to get better representation for the district. - Andrade’s Social Media Studio - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 7:24 pm: I’m guessing André has an issue with Welch and tried to look past it but couldn’t… - marylouise - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 8:40 pm: I’m thinking he’s running for SOS or has a spot with the Gov. - Rich Miller - Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 11:33 pm: ===or has a spot with the Gov=== lol Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.