Arroyo should just turn himself in at the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center tonight and begin serving his imminent sentence

Madigan: No role for Arroyo in picking his replacement
State Rep. Luis Arroyo planned a meeting to help pick his own successor. But Speaker Mike Madigan has warned the other precinct committeemen that Arroyo should stay out of the process.

By Tina Sfondeles Nov 11, 2019, 2:32pm CST


State Rep. Luis Arroyo leaving the Dirksen Federal Building on Oct. 28 after an appearing in court on federal bribery charges. Santiago Covarrubias/For the Sun-Times


Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is putting the kibosh on plans by former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who faces criminal charges, to help choose his own Springfield replacement.

Madigan on Monday sent letters to the nine Democratic committeemen tasked with voting on Arroyo’s General Assembly replacement, warning that “any involvement by the 36th Ward — whether a direct vote or a vote by proxy would cause the candidate’s qualifications to be challenged by the full Illinois House of Representatives.”

But the speaker’s request had some resistance, including from Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30th), who is also a Democratic committeeman. Reboyras called Madigan’s request “an illegal and discriminatory effort to disenfranchise Latino voters.” Reboyras also said he would “be forced to sue” Madigan officially and personally “for intentional discrimination against Latinos,” should Madigan not consider the 36th Ward.

“Like all Committeepersons of the District, I agree that Luis Arroyo should not select his own replacement in the House,” Arroyo wrote in a letter to Madigan. “I strongly disagree with you that the process for filling the vacancy should be done without the consideration, acknowledgment, and accounting of the voters of the 36th Ward.”

Although Arroyo resigned from the Illinois House on Nov. 1, he is still the 36th Ward Democratic committeeman, despite calls from party leaders for him to also step down from that post.

“As Speaker of the House, I am asking the committeemen responsible for filling the vacancy in the 3rd Representative District to do so without the participation of the 36th Ward,” Madigan wrote.

In a statement to reporters, Madigan said any involvement by Arroyo in choosing his own replacement “would call the legitimacy of the appointment into question.”


Arroyo stepped down as state representative two weeks ago in the face of federal bribery charges. But as the 36th Ward committeeman, Arroyo last week called a meeting of Cook County Democrats “to decide who shall be my replacement.”

Party leaders have asked Arroyo to relinquish his post as committeeman. Instead, the Northwest Side Democrat notified a group of the committeemen he wants a say in who replaces him in Springfield.

Arroyo called for Democratic committeemen who represent voters in the state’s 3rd House District to meet at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at the Alliance of Polish Clubs, 5835 W. Diversey Ave.

“As the democratic committeeman with the greatest number of weighted votes in the 3rd District and the recognized chair of the 3rd Representative District Committee, I am calling a meeting of the democratic committeemen for the purpose of filling the vacancy created by my retirement from the Illinois House of Representatives,” part of the letter reads.

Procedurally, 10 Democratic committeemen whose wards or townships are part of the House district — including Arroyo — were to vote on his General Assembly replacement with a weighted vote. The winner needs 50% plus one to win; that’s 9,892 weighted votes, according to a document provided to the Chicago Sun-Times from the county’s Democratic Party.

In the letter, Arroyo says he’s “inviting any and all potential candidates to submit their credentials for consideration by the committeemen authorized to choose my replacement.”

Cook County Democratic Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle on Monday said the party’s executive committee “is not in a position” to take any other action against Arroyo, except to formally ask him to resign as a committeeman. The party doesn’t have legal means to force him out unless he is convicted of a felony.

Preckwinkle also implored the other committeemen and committeewomen in the 3rd District to “lead by example” and pick his replacement without him.

She also had a tip for Arroyo: “I would suggest Arroyo do the right thing and not call into question the selection process,” Preckwinkle said in a statement.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in a statement, called Arroyo’s efforts to “influence the choice” of his successor “unacceptable.”

“Any engagement by the current 36th Ward committeeman would taint a successor, and I call on the House of Representatives not to seat the person who is selected if the 36th Ward committeeman participates,” the governor said. “The people of Illinois deserve and demand a higher standard of ethics, and I intend to pursue comprehensive ethics reform in Springfield.”