Illinois House Speaker to step down after 26 Democrats break ranks

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch announced Thursday that he will not run for another term as speaker. The decision ends a month-long struggle within the Democratic caucus over whether Welch retained enough support to keep the gavel.

The opposition grew after 26 current and incoming House Democrats called for new leadership. The group did not name a replacement or list specific reasons for their stance. However, concerns centered on Welch's handling of sexual harassment allegations involving former state Rep. Harry Benton and complaints about the workplace culture in the office.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy publicly criticized Welch's interactions with staffers, describing some of his conduct as inappropriate. Cassidy stated she is not interested in becoming speaker. Welch apologized for his handling of the Benton case and formed a working group to address workplace culture, but some lawmakers argued those steps were insufficient.

Welch needed 60 votes to retain the speakership. With Democrats projected to hold at least 83 seats, the 26 dissenters would have left him short of that threshold without Republican support. Four members of Welch's own leadership team joined the opposition. Gov. JB Pritzker also appeared unlikely to endorse Welch, remaining noncommittal when asked if Welch should remain speaker in an exclusive interview with FOX Chicago.

Welch released a statement Thursday praising the caucus's unity and its work on transit, cannabis, and energy legislation. "I have always told the caucus that our time in this space is finite, but we are playing an infinite game," Welch wrote. He added that the party now needs to lead with unity to fulfill the mandate received from voters in the recent election.

The leadership change comes after Democrats expanded their power in Springfield under Welch's guidance. Sources told FOX Chicago that the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will not support a new speaker unless the candidate comes from their ranks. The 26-member coalition says it will remain united, though some Democrats who did not sign the letter are also expressing dissatisfaction.

House Democrats will now determine who succeeds Welch as speaker. The caucus is expected to convene to select a new leader for the upcoming legislative session.