House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie's (D-Chicago) departure from the General Assembly is not only a telling sign of the downward spiral of Illinois Democrats but a sad indication that the party is still blind to the troubles manifested by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), the Illinois Republican Party said after Currie's announcement Sept. 14 to not seek-re-election.
"Leader Currie, who entered the Illinois House of Representatives in 1979, garnered respect from both sides of the aisle throughout her career, but her shocking departure is a bad omen for Democrats," GOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot said in a press release.
DeGroot lamented that the Democrats don't seem to understand that the "toxic" environment created by Madigan will be worsened, especially if billionaire J.B. Pritzker gets the party's gubernatorial nomination.
Barbara Flynn Currie
“Mike Madigan is toxic, yet Democrats continue to embrace his leadership," DeGroot said in the release. "Now, Democrats are poised to nominate an equally-toxic, Madigan-sanctioned candidate for governor.
The Chicago Tribune has said that Pritzker's Democratic rivals have criticized his wealth, estimated by Forbes to be $3.4 billion, but that certain elements in the Democratic Party want a candidate who is willing to self-fund an expensive effort to take on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
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