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Photo from Jim Madigan
State Senate candidate Jim Madigan speaks with voters. If elected, Madigan will be the first openly gay state senator.
John Lund/MEDILL
Jim Madigan speaks at a rally for gay rights at the Daley Plaza.
Candidate hopes to make history as state's first openly gay senator
by John Lund
Nov 04, 2009
Madigan answered questions from his campaign office for the 7th District seat, which includes parts of Uptown, Edgewater, Lincoln Square and Rogers Park.
Q This is your first run for public office, why did you decide to run?
I’ve always been interested in public policy and government. I didn’t necessarily see myself as a candidate, but I watched for a number of years as LGBT rights were not respected in Springfield. Legislation that would protect our families tends to get kicked down the road, again and again and again. In 2007, when I saw my state senator [Carol Ronen] essentially hand over a seat to one of her largest donors, and one of Rod Blagojevich’s largest donors, I thought this seemed like more of the same Chicago and Illinois politics. I thought that we could do better as a district, as a city and as a state.
Q You could be Illinois’ first openly gay state senator, how does that make you feel?
Proud, but also humbled, because ultimately that means in addition to being a voice for my legislative district, there are going to be thousands upon thousands of people across our state who depend on me to do a good job, particularly with regard to how our state treats the LGBT community.
To date, we’ve never had an openly gay person in the Illinois Senate and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there hasn’t even been one committee hearing on civil unions or marriage or any relationship recognition. So, I think having someone who is that active, open voice will not only help move the legislation, but will also help persuade other legislators. It’s no coincidence that in every state that has passed state-wide gay rights laws, there have been
openly gay legislators there, and so I think it stands to reason that someone in that body makes a difference, at least in terms of allowing other legislators to put a face on the consequences of their decision.
Q Do you think that your sexuality will affect your campaign?
I don’t think so. Some younger voters feel a little inspired by it. People might say, ‘look, this is something that will be nice to have in terms of increased diversity to the legislative body,’ but I don’t think they will vote based on it. I think they will vote on what is best for them.
Q You come from a lower income bracket. How does that shape who you are today and what kind of lawmaker you would be?
I know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. I know what it is like to find myself short as bills pile up. Springfield is looking at tighter regulation on payday loan rules.
I’ve had payday loans. I know how much havoc they can wreak. I am a renter -- I understand the issues of people that live in the district. I think that gives me a little bit of insight into what are the real world consequences of the policy decisions from Springfield.
Q What are your highest priorities if elected?
Fixing our economy in Illinois. As Democrats, we need to think seriously of what can we do to cultivate more jobs in the state. Small businesses feel the economic pressure most when we as a state begin to bump up taxes again and again. I don’t want small business owners who believe in the equality and social justice issues of the Democratic Party to find it better to vote Republican because of the economic pressures. We need to bring sensible, fiscal responsibility to our state.
Also, violent crime is increasing in our district, and I have plans to address that. I think we should reject video gambling machines, because they milk people of their dollars. We need more police. We also need mandatory programs in our schools that teach respect and responsibility.
Q With a famous Illinois last name like Madigan, although you’re unrelated, could that help or hurt you?
It’s hard to say. Lisa Madigan is a very popular attorney general, so I think to be related to Lisa Madigan would be a very good thing. But I’m not. At the same time, the speaker of the house [Michael Madigan] has received a lot of scrutiny in the press, so maybe that makes it a challenge. But I’m not part of any political dynasty; I’m not related to anyone who’s active in Illinois government. I’m running the opposite kind of campaign, the kind without insider connections. It would be a cruel irony if folks didn’t want to vote for me just because my last name happened to be the same as some other folks in Illinois.
