Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician who was the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the longest-serving leader of any legislative body, state or federal, in the history of the United States. From 1983 until 2021, he held the position for all but two years. Considered the state's political boss, Madigan was a powerful figure in the Democratic Party of Illinois until his resignation from office in 2021. He was later convicted of bribery, wire fraud, and other criminal offenses arising from his time in office.
The son of a Democratic precinct captain from Chicago's 13th ward, Madigan began his career working within Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley's administration. First elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970, he was reelected nine times and represented a portion of the city's South Side. At the time of his resignation, Madigan was the Illinois House's longest-serving member and the last legislator elected before the 1980 Cutback Amendment. He was also the chair of the state Democratic party for over 22 years, from 1998 until 2021.
Called "one of the most powerful men in Illinois history," Speaker Madigan controlled all redistricting in the state for several decades and ran an extensive patronage network that spanned state and local bodies. Due to his clout in state politics, Madigan was nicknamed "The Velvet Hammer" and "The Real Governor of Illinois." Rich Miller, editor of Capitol Fax, noted that "the pile of political corpses outside Madigan's Statehouse door of those who tried to beat him one way or another is a mile high and a mile wide." In a blow to his dominance, Madigan was denied an eleventh consecutive term as speaker by his fellow Democrats following the 2020 election. A month later, in February 2021, he resigned as a state representative and as party chair.
On March 2, 2022, Madigan was indicted on federal racketeering charges, with prosecutors alleging that Madigan led a criminal enterprise that sought to enhance his political power and enrich him and his allies. On February 12, 2025, Madigan was convicted on ten counts of bribery, wire fraud, and Travel Act violations. He was sentenced to 7½ years in prison and a $2.5 million fine. He began serving his sentence at a West Virginia federal prison on October 13, 2025.
Early life and career Madigan's father, Michael, was "a very strong Democrat, he was a product of the Depression ... He carried with him very strong feelings in favor of many of the enactments of the New Deal." Michael J. Flynn was the Cook County Clerk, and also the Democratic committeeman of Chicago's 13th Ward, an unpaid, political-party leadership position. Madigan's father was a precinct captain in the 13th Ward and worked in the Cook County Clerk's office, where he befriended a young Richard J. Daley, who would later succeed Flynn as County Clerk prior to running for mayor of Chicago. Madigan later characterized the relationship between his father and Richard J. Daley as "political friends." The elder Michael Madigan later worked for 25 years as the 23rd Ward superintendent for the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation. Despite their relationship, there was at times also hostility between the Madigan and Daley families as well, as each family sought to prove political dominance over the other.
Madigan was born on April 19, 1942, and was raised in the Clearing neighborhood of Chicago. Madigan graduated from Saint Adrian's Elementary School, St. Ignatius College Prep on the west side of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame. In 1965, while a first-year law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Madigan bought a membership in the Lake Shore Club and introduced himself to Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley as Michael Madigan's son. Within months, at Madigan's father's request, Mayor Daley appointed Madigan to a summer job with the city law department between his first and second years of law school. Madigan also met Daley's son, Richard M. Daley, while both were law students. Madigan's father suffered a heart attack at age 58, and a fatal heart attack at age 60, in 1966. Madigan graduated from Loyola Law School in 1967. Madigan and Neil Hartigan worked together in the city law department.
Madigan and Richard M. Daley were both delegates to the 1969-70 Illinois Constitutional convention (which wrote the current Constitution of Illinois, adopted after Illinois voters approved it in the 1970 special election), and became good friends. Nevertheless, hostility could still exist between the two over political aspirations, with former Chicago operative Don Rose noting in 2013 that while there was no seriously bad blood between Madigan and Richard M. Daley, “there were jealousies and let’s say significant disrespect.”
In 1972, Madigan founded the private law firm of Madigan and Getzendanner with Vincent J. "Bud" Getzendanner Jr., a fellow Loyola law graduate, one year his senior. In 1976, Madigan married Shirley Murray, a divorced law firm receptionist with a young daughter, Lisa, whom Madigan adopted; Lisa later became Attorney General of Illinois in 2003.
Democratic Party leadership Madigan joined Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne in endorsing Alderman Edward M. Burke in the 1980 Democratic primary race for Cook County State's Attorney, over Madigan's on and off friend Richard M. Daley. Madigan would also back Byrne over Daley in the 1983 Chicago mayoral election.
In 1986, Neil Hartigan, a longtime political rival of Madigan, was running in the Democratic primary for Illinois governor. Madigan successfully urged Adlai Stevenson III to enter the race, leading to Hartigan's withdrawal and Stevenson winning the nomination. Stevenson was defeated by Republican incumbent James R. Thompson for the second time.
13th Ward Democratic committeeman In 1969 the 13th Ward precinct captains elected Madigan their committeeman, making him, at age 27, the youngest ward committeeman in Chicago at the time. Madigan's ward organization has been called the most disciplined in Chicago.
Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois In 1998 the Illinois Democratic Party's Central Committee elected Madigan chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Madigan succeeded his protégé and former chief of staff, Gary LaPaille. Madigan fired the state party staff, closed its headquarters in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and moved it to Springfield, Illinois, to the same office building as his campaign finance committee staff.
Madigan's position as the Democratic Party Chair was challenged by Mateusz Tomkowiak during the March 2018 Democratic primary for state central committeeman of the 3rd Congressional District. On February 22, 2021, Madigan resigned as chairman.
In February 2025, Madigan was found guilty on ten felony counts in a corruption trial. These charges include bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison and a $2.5 million fine.
Illinois House of Representatives
In November 1970 Madigan was elected to represent the 22nd District in the Illinois House of Representatives. The district, on Chicago's southwest side in the area surrounding Midway International Airport, has recently become majority Hispanic.
Speaker of the Illinois House
Madigan was Speaker of the Illinois House from 1983 to 2021, with the exception of 1995–97, when Republicans took control of the Illinois House and Lee Daniels of Elmhurst became Speaker. Madigan recruited candidates who appealed to south suburban Chicago voters and the Illinois House Democratic Majority political action committee he controlled spent $272,000 in six south suburban races. Democrats won back nine seats in the Illinois House in the elections of November 1996, regained a majority, and Madigan resumed the Speaker's role and held it until January 2021. He is the longest-serving state House speaker in United States history.
Beginning in the 1980 United States Census, and except in the 1990s, Madigan was the chief mapmaker of the legislative districts of the Illinois General Assembly and the United States Congress in Illinois and during reapportionment he designs the Illinois House districts to increase his majority.
After 2002when Democrats took control of all branches of the state governmentMadigan feuded with leading Democrats Governor Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones.
Some political observers were critical of the level of control Madigan came to hold over Illinois politics, describing him as the state's political boss.
In 2016, Madigan was the subject and namesake of a documentary made by the Illinois Policy Institute. The documentary was widely criticized as overly partisan and raised ethical concerns after individuals featured in the movie claimed they were not told the nature of their interviews.
In May 2019 Madigan supported a bill to change Illinois's tax rate from a flat rate to a graduated tax rate and sponsored a bill to fine businesses for profiting from human trafficking, involuntary servitude, or sex trade activities.
In January 2021, Madigan announced he would be suspending his campaign for Speaker of the Illinois House after it became apparent that he would not receive the 60 votes necessary to win. On January 13, the Illinois House voted to instead elect Chris Welch to the Speakership, making him the first African American to hold that position. A federal corruption investigation related to Madigan's conduct continued despite his ouster as speaker.
Relationship with Blagojevich Madigan and Blagojevich clashed over Blagojevich's proposals for increased state spending. Blagojevich blamed the 2007 budget crisis on Madigan, releasing a statement that said, "The way to be able to finally get budgets that achieve the objective of health care and education for families is to get Mr. Madigan to be a Democrat again and stop being a George Bush Republican." Madigan refused to meet with Blagojevich for more than two months after Blagojevich introduced the budget; rather than the proposed $5 billion in increased spending, he recommended $1 billion, funded by the ending of a tax break. When talks stalled, Madigan invited the entire House to accompany him to budget negotiations.
Madigan opposed Blagojevich's proposed gross receipts tax in 2007. He said the tax was "regressive" and would hurt the poor, who are "the least able in our society to take on additional costs."
Illinois senior Senator Dick Durbin said in 2008 that he received many constituent complaints about the dispute between Blagojevich and Madigan, with letter writers wanting him to step in to negotiate. Durbin said the subject was also often talked about in the United States Congress in Washington, D.C., among the Illinois congressional delegation. Durbin joked that he would rather go to Baghdad to mediate than Springfield.
The Chicago Sun-Times statehouse bureau reporter of 13 years, Dave McKinney, said of Madigan's style as Speaker:
The relationship between Blagojevich and Madigan hit its low in October 2007, when Blagojevich fired Bronwyn Rains, wife of Madigan's chief of staff Timothy Mapes, from her position of psychologist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Blagojevich said he based this on Rains's educational background. She had worked for the department for 24 years with no prior record of problems; one observer called the fallout "nuclear war."
Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson and House Republican Leader Tom Cross often met with Madigan, his Senate counterpart at the time Emil Jones, and Blagojevich in an attempt to referee disputes. In August 2008, Blagojevich stated that House Democrats who held City of Chicago jobs were fearful of voting in favor of his 2008 capital bill because they thought Madigan might be able to get them fired. Blagojevich told reporters: