* Crain’s…

The odds of Emanuel “Chris” Welch hanging on to his job as speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives are getting longer as 26 members of the Democratic caucus publicly say they want a new leader.

“Over the course of the last few months, we have grown increasingly convinced that the House Democratic Caucus needs new leadership,” the letter says. “We represent a broad spectrum of our caucus, and each have come to this decision for our own reasons. We look forward to a robust race for a new speaker of the House.” […]

Among those signing the letter, which was first reported by Springfield newsletter Capitol Fax, are Eva-Dina Delgado and Bob Morgan, who are members of House leadership, as well as Lisa Hernandez, deputy minority leader and chair of the Illinois Democratic Party.

Welch needs 60 votes to keep his job. If all 26 members who signed the letter vote against him, he’s unlikely to have enough votes.

* Tribune…

The 26 Democratic House members did not identify any potential successors to Welch. The lawmakers who signed the statement want a deliberative process to select a new speaker, not a rushed one like what occurred when Welch was picked in 2021, sources told the Tribune.

“We were all locked in a basement screaming at each other for a week, right? That is not a healthy way to determine the direction of a legislative body,” said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, whose name appears on the statement. “And so I am motivated by a desire to see that robust campaign that we were denied last time, to see my colleagues share their ideas for how they would lead our chamber and how they would make change. I work with some really smart, creative and thoughtful people, and I know there are ideas out there that should be on the table.”

Cassidy, who has been critical of Welch’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations against Benton, said Thursday that she’s “heard and seen the morale drop among our staff,” and there are women who work with the legislature “who don’t think things are better.” […]

Two signers of the statement were elected to the House in Tuesday’s balloting: Paul Kendrick of Chicago, who is succeeding state Rep. Margaret Croke, who was elected state comptroller, and Maria Peterson of North Barrington, who defeated three-term Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills.

* Farmers Weekly…

“The whole (Democratic) Caucus has been a circus,” state Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, told Farmers Weekly Review. “There is no organization, no consistency,”

Walsh, who said he was one of four legislators behind the signed letter, pointed to the “60-member” rule Welch brought in when he became speaker following Michael Madigan’s ouster.

Under that rule, no legislation can move forward without at least 60 Democrats in the caucus supporting it.

“And now, with 84 or 85 Democrats, it would be that much tougher,” Walsh said following gains in the House from the November 3 election […]

Since the letter was made public, Walsh said he has not received any pushback from Democratic colleagues, only support. He has not heard any response as yet from Welch. […]

Asked for a comment concerning the letter by Farmers Weekly Review, [Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman] responded with an email, saying, “I’m pivoting to the future and looking forward to seeing my colleagues present their leadership ideas.”

* Sun-Times…

Arlington Heights state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, who chairs the House Democratic Women’s Caucus and signed the statement, said she’s confident more of her colleagues are ready for new leadership even if they weren’t yet comfortable publicly defying Welch.

“The bigger concern is not that [Benton] scandal itself, but really the judgment it showed, from the way it was handled in ‘23, then to ‘26, and then the way it has been handled ever since it was first reported,” Canty said. “All of that shows a standard of judgment that hasn’t inspired confidence.” […]

Canty said she met with Welch to discuss the case over the summer and potential solutions to address harassment in the Capitol.

“I think he had a professional response,” Canty said. “In that conversation it became clear for me that my concerns are solvable, but not solvable by this speaker.”