Following unions' lead, lllinois House Speaker Chris Welch directs $560K to effort to oust Rep. Mary Flowers
Democratic State Rep. Mary E. Flowers, the longest-serving Black lawmaker in the General Assembly, has been dogged by allegations of abusive behavior toward her colleagues and staff.
Rich Hein/Sun-Times file
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is leading an effort to direct more than $560,000 to oust Chicago Democratic State Rep. Mary Flowers — the longest-serving African American lawmaker in the Illinois General Assembly, whose leadership was stripped last year over allegations of abusive behavior.
That behavior included telling a House staffer last year that he resembled Adolf Hitler.
Unions, including IBEW Local 399 and LiUNA, have already contributed more than $500,000 to support Flowers’ opponent, Michael Crawford in the 31st District, which stretches from the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood to Hickory Hills.
But now Welch, and the Illinois House Democratic fund he operates, are publicly supporting Crawford with a hefty $560,500 contribution, according to TaQuoya McConnico, executive director for Illinois House Democrats. Welch himself contributed to Crawford $68,500 from his campaign fund. The rest came from fellow House Democratic leaders.
Crawford is a campus dean at the Chicago School and previously worked for the City Colleges of Chicago.
“The leader’s decision to support Michael Crawford comes after much consideration of the future of our caucus,” McConnico said in a statement Tuesday. “We are working to build a better Illinois for all. We have to do that with individuals who can come to the table, work collaboratively, and do the work that makes a difference.”
Flowers, in office since 1985, was stripped of her deputy majority leader title and barred from attending House Democratic caucus meetings last year amid complaints from her colleagues that she was disrespectful and conducting what Welch himself called “abusive behavior.”
He detailed that behavior in a May 9, 2023 letter to Flowers, accusing the Democrat of using a “slur intended to divide people — including members of our own Caucus — based on their national origin.”
“In this same meeting, you compared the appearance of a staff member to Adolf Hitler. You declined to offer the caucus a sincere apology for either comment when asked,” Welch wrote. “This was not the first time you made derogatory comments toward colleagues and staff.”
The speaker also wrote that when several colleagues said they felt bullied, Flowers “dismissed their concerns and attempted to further belittle them in front of colleagues and staff.”
“In individual meetings with you, I have informed you of how I expect members treat colleagues and staff, and I have requested specifically that you refrain from abusive behavior,” Welch wrote. “This conduct has continued unabated.”
Flowers told WBEZ last year that her ouster as a leader was “so petty it’s ridiculous.”
Despite losing her leadership post last year, Flowers said she would stay in the House.
“As I told the speaker, I took one oath, and that’s to uphold the constitution. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing the last 40 years — upholding the Constitution of the state of Illinois for my constituents,” Flowers told WBEZ.
Flowers has $180,012.50 cash on hand, according to campaign finance records. With the House Democrats contribution, Crawford will have more than $1.12 million in the waning weeks of his campaign.
Flowers could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.