In an exclusive talk with Windy City Times, Equality Illinois Interim Executive Director Jim Madigan said that he plans to run for the 7th District Illinois Senate seat next February against incumbent Heather Steans.
"I will be participating in the [ Pride ] Parade [ June 28 ] as a candidate, although I won't have my official launch until after Pride," Madigan said, whose tenure at Equality Illinois ends this week. He added that an introductory Web page should be up at www.JimMadigan.com by the upcoming weekend.
When asked what spurred him to run, Madigan responded, "For me, it's the need to have legislators who will exercise independent judgment; who will challenge the party bosses and leaders in this state when it's appropriate; and who will side with the individual voters rather than paying special attention to campaign contributors. I think [ Heather ] is a decent person, but I think the reality is that if she had not given [ former Gov. ] Rod Blagojevich $170,000, she would not have had that seat open up for her."
( Steans, when notified of Madigan's remark, responded, "Jim's statement is based on faulty facts. Last year I ran and won election in a competitive, open Democratic primary based on my experience and vision for leadership for 7th District residents. Since being elected, I have worked with every imaginable group in this District for progressive issues such as marriage equality, educational and ethics reforms, and better health care. Now more than ever, we need leaders in Springfield who can deliver change by advancing substantive new ideas rather than running negative campaigns based on misrepresentations." )
If Madigan wins, he would be the first openly gay individual in the Illinois Senate.
The 7th District includes Chicago areas such as Uptown, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square and Rogers Park.