Chicago City Wire

Former House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) resigned today, vacating the seat he has held since 1971.

Madigan’s resignation goes into effect at the end of the month.

Madigan said in a letter that he would be resigning after 50 years in the House of Representatives.

"It's no secret that I have been the target of vicious attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements lifting up the working people of Illinois," Madigan said in the letter, 7ABC reported. "The fact is, my motivation for holding elected office has never wavered. I have been resolute in my dedication to public service and integrity, always acting in the interest of the people of Illinois."

Madigan said that he left knowing he made a difference.

"I leave office at peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I've made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing I've made a difference,” he said.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy said while Madigan will no longer be a state representative, he’ll still be the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

 "Chairman Madigan's legacy is that of presiding over the decline of a once great state, ballooning pension liabilities by hundreds of billions of dollars, and the accumulation of historic political power that primarily benefited government insiders and special interests,” Tracy said in a statement. “Chairman Madigan may no longer be a state representative, but he is still Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois where he personally controls over $15 million in campaign cash.”

Madigan will have the ability to handpick his successor, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He holds 56 percent of the weighted vote when it comes to who replaces him, while Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd), who is a close ally of Madigan’s, holds 31 percent of the weighted vote.