House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) speaks at the City Club of Chicago in September. [City Club of Chicago]   

House Speaker Chris Welch’s (D-Hillside) rise to speaker was historic from the beginning after his colleagues selected him to be the newest Democratic speaker of the House in nearly 40 years. 

Welch will close the book next month on his first two years as speaker “proud” of the new culture he says he introduced in the House and ready to build on his accomplishments with the largest caucus of House Democrats ever.