Kodatt selected to succeed Madigan by 22nd District community leaders
Leaders of the 22nd Illinois House District voted to name longtime district resident Edward Kodatt as the successor to fill the seat held since 1971 by Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. The vote reflects the will of the district’s voters and community leaders and ensures that the district will continue to service the needs of all of the district’s residents
By Ray Hanania
Leaders of the 22nd Illinois House District met on Sunday, February 21, 2021 to name a successor to fill the seat vacated by retiring Illinois House Speaker Michal J. Madigan, naming community leader Edward Guerra Kodatt a lifelong resident of the district from Garfield Ridge.
Kodatt, 26, is a southwest side native and has lived in the 22nd District his entire life, officials said. Fluent Spanish, Kodatt grew up in West Lawn and Garfield Ridge, and he attended both St. Turibius and St. Daniel for grammar school and graduated high school from St. Rita.
Kodatt earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern Illinois University and is currently working on a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Kansas online. Kodatt is engaged to Vanessa Ramirez.
Kodatt’s mother, Gissella Limon, immigrated to Chicago from Ecuador when she was eight years old and did not speak a word of English. She went on to become a detective for the Chicago Police Department for 20 years. His father, Edward R. Kodatt, was a Chicago police officer for 30 years and his family is from West Lawn. Kodatt’s stepfather, Frank Limon, was also a Chicago police officer for 30 years.
Kodatt has worked in the Madigan-Quinn Service Office since 2017, helping on a wide variety of projects and issues and eventually working on Democratic House campaigns. Over the years, Kodatt worked on campaigns for Senator Villa, Representative Yednock, and Representative Gong-Gershowitz, to name a few.
“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity of a lifetime to become the next Illinois House Representative for the 22nd District. The southwest side has been home all my life, and I’m thrilled to be part of a new generation of leaders working on behalf of my community,” Kodatt said following his selection to fill the vacancy and serve as the State Representative for the 22nd House District.
“I want the 22nd District to be a place where young people like me and my fiancé Vanessa want to live, work and raise a family. I want to be sure workers have good-paying jobs, families have safe neighborhoods and children have strong education opportunities. While I never imagined having such big shoes to fill, I hope my selection will inspire other young people in the district and across our great state to get involved. I am ready to bring new ideas and new perspectives to the southwest side. I’m ready to get to work.”
Madigan praised Kodatt and community leaders.
“I want to congratulate Edward Guerra Kodatt on his selection as the next Illinois House representative from 22ndDistrict,” Madigan said.
“Ed has strong roots on the southwest side and long stood out as an exceptional leader in our community. His work ethic, commitment and values always stood out. I am confident Ed will lead the 22nd district into a new chapter with a fresh perspective that continues to put working men and women first.”
Madigan was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States, having held the position of Illinois Speaker of the House for all but two years from 1983 to 2021. The district has been represented by Mike Madigan since January 13, 1971. Madigan was the 67th Speaker of the House from 1983 to 1995 and has been the 69th Speaker of the House since 1997. Madigan was re-elected unopposed in 2018.
Madigan was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1971 representing the 27th District from 1971 to 1983, the 30th district from 1983 to 1993, and the 22nd district from 1993 to 2021.
Madigan was elected every two years since 1971 with the backing of a majority of the registered voters in the legislative district, reflecting the voice and will of the district’s residents. Kodatt was chosen over a large field of contenders who sought the position, andpreviousl served as an “infrastructure manager” for the Chicago City Council since 2017.
The 22nd district, located in the Chicagoland area, includes parts of Bedford Park and Burbank and includes all or parts of the Chicago neighborhoods of Archer Heights, Ashburn, Brighton Park, Chicago Lawn, Clearing, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, West Elsdon, and West Lawn.
(Ray Hanania is a former Chicago City Hall reporter and award wining columnist and writer. Reach him at his website at www.Hanania.com or email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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