Emanuel Chris Welch

In March 2012, when Welch was running for state representative, a Chicago Sun-Times report detailed instances of alleged nepotism and misconduct Welch allegedly engaged in on the Board. Per the report, the District fired two women when their personal relationships with Welch ended, including a woman who claimed she was fired from her post as an assistant to the superintendent after breaking up with him. The woman filed a lawsuit about the matter, which was eventually settled.[9]

The other woman, Beyonca Johnson, said Welch sexually harassed her after their breakup and told her "she could kiss her job goodbye." She filed a restraining order and a federal lawsuit against Welch, both of which were later dismissed. She went on to run against Welch in the 2012 Democratic primary for the state House seat Welch won, losing to Welch.[10]

The district hired both Welch's brother and the best man at his wedding during Welch's tenure. In total, he allegedly hired 19 close friends and relatives to positions in the district.[9]

While running for state representative in 2006, Welch was criticized for several campaign donations he received from district contractors he helped hire.[11]

Welch first ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in district 7 in 2006, challenging incumbent Democrat Karen Yarbrough. Welch focused his campaign on education and criticized Yarbrough over the issue. He lost the primary to Yarbrough.[11]

In 2012, Welch again sought the Democratic nomination for the legislative seat, and he narrowly defeated three other candidates including his former girlfriend in the primary and ran unopposed in the general election. He was sworn in on January 9, 2013.[12]

Welch's 2014 Democratic primary challenger, Antoinette Gray, was removed from the ballot for failing to meet the residency requirements for the position, leaving Welch unopposed in the primary.[13] He also ran unopposed in that year's general election for the seat.

In 2016, Welch sought a third term in the House, defeated Democratic primary challenger Chris Harris, and was unopposed in the general election. He was reelected in 2018 and 2020 without a challenger.[12]

Welch was reelected in 2022 against Republican challenger Eddie Kornegay with 77% of the vote.

In 2018, then Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker appointed Welch to the Educational Success transition committee, which is responsible for state education policy.[14]

Welch led a special House committee investigating the ComEd Bribery scandal, which then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, of whom Welch was a top ally, was later charged in. The committee's work ended abruptly without any findings. Welch later said that he felt the matter needed to be handled by prosecutors.[15]

Welch also chaired the House Executive Committee.[16] In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, he served as a presidential elector on behalf of Joe Biden, replacing former U.S. Representative Jerry Costello.[17]

In 2021, after 19 House Democrats publicly said they would not vote to reelect incumbent Michael Madigan as House speaker, Madigan put his bid for the speakership on hold, betting that the Democratic caucus could not find another candidate. Welch ran for speaker at Madigan's urging. During his campaign for speaker, questions were raised about his past misconduct and treatment of women and his close ties to Madigan, but Welch won the support of the Black and Democratic Latino caucuses.[18][19]

On January 13, 2021, the Illinois House of Representatives elected Welch speaker.[16] He is the first African American to serve as Speaker of the Illinois House[16] and is the first person other than Madigan to lead the Illinois House Democratic caucus since 1983.

In Welch's first term as House Speaker, the General Assembly passed an assault weapons ban,[20] the Clean Energy Jobs Act, the Safe-T Act, and new district maps to reflect the 2020 census data.

In the 2022 elections, Democrats expanded their supermajority in the House to 78 seats. Welch said that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs eliminating nationwide protection for abortion was a major factor in House Democrats' electoral success.[21]

According to the Chicago Tribune, Welch has "received mostly good reviews" from his caucus as speaker for "diversity in assigning tasks to and bringing in more people in bill negotiations."[22]

The House reelected Welch speaker on January 11, 2023.

Two days later, he announced Robyn Gable would be Majority Leader, replacing Greg Harris, who retired.[23]

Welch supported a bill that bans assault weapons in 2023.[24]