Madigan has now controlled his chamber as speaker for more than 11,900 days.

The speaker’s prowess for political longevity is unmatched in modern America.

No other state in the country grants as much power to its House speaker as Illinois does to Mike Madigan.

At the end of his term in 2019, Madigan will be the longest-serving House speaker of any state in modern U.S. history.

Chicago Democrat Mike Madigan will hold the speakership for a record 17th time.

Just as Illinoisans elect state representatives, state representatives elect the speaker of the House every two years. To become the speaker, Madigan just needs a majority vote.