Inside the Mike Madigan Machine

If you’ve lived in Illinois for even a short period of time, you’ve heard the name Michael J. Madigan. But you’ve probably just heard the name because he rarely gives interviews. For nearly 40 years, Madigan served as Speaker of the Illinois House, and during that time, practically every piece of legislation passed in Springfield had to get his approval. In 2016, at the Speaker’s request, then-President Barack Obama came to Illinois to campaign for a state representative who was hand-picked by Madigan. And why did Madigan want this new candidate in office? Because she was running against incumbent state Rep. Ken Dunkin, who had voted against Madigan. Dunkin lost. But now Madigan is out as House Speaker and out of the state legislature. A podcast out today from the Better Government Association digs into the rise of Madigan and how the power he built started to weaken. Guest: Justin Kaufmann — Host, “The Madigan Rule” Some good news to get you through: Today is the last day to register for the South Side Pie Challenge. The bake-off starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at Nichols Park. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicago Sign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm