Quinn, Madigan staffer tapped to fill vacancy left by former House speaker 

Southwest Side Democratic Party officials on Sunday appointed Edward Guerra Kodatt, a 26-year-old staff assistant to Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn (13) and an employee of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s political committee, to fill the  legislative seat left vacant by Madigan’s retirement.  

Kodatt was picked by a five-member committee, which included Madigan, from a field of 10 candidates that included eight Latinos and former Sen. Bob Raica, a Republican who served in the legislature between 1987 and 1997. Although Madigan was just one member of the selection committee, he wielded more than 50 percent of the weighted vote in the process, giving him unilateral power to name his successor.