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player ready...A Republican state legislator from Schaumburg plans to announce Tuesday that he is switching parties, which would add to the Democratic majority in the Illinois House.
“After being in the minority for five years, with no prospects of that changing, I think I can more effectively represent my district being in the majority,” Rep. Paul Froehlich said in a phone interview Monday night.
Froehlich has set a news conference for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Schaumburg Township Hall in Hoffman Estates to discuss his decision.
Democrats hold a 66-52 majority in the House.
Republicans said Monday that they had not heard directly from Froehlich, 56, but he has talked with Democratic leaders about his plans. Schaumburg Township Democratic Committeeman Rocco Terranova said he met Monday with Froehlich.
“He told me, ‘I can’t run as a Republican anymore’
” because there is too little support for the GOP in his district, Terranova said.
Froehlich was appointed in 2003 to fill a seat in the House and was elected in 2004. He was re-elected last year. Froehlich also has been the GOP committeeman in Schaumburg Township since 1998.
“Today is my 30th wedding anniversary,” he said. “It feels like I’m going through a divorce because I’ve been a Republican for more than 30 years.”
But he said the GOP has developed a reputation for being unfriendly toward minorities, especially on such issues as immigration and national security.
“In some ways, the party’s left me, in moving away from traditional Republican values,” he said.
Steve Brown, a spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), said, “The speaker believes that Paul has always been a responsible and conscientious member of the House and will expect the same moving forward. He will be a very good member of the Democratic caucus.”
Republican reaction was mixed.
“I will continue to work with him,” said state Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream). “I’m not going to shun him.”
Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman, chair of the Cook County Republican Party, said Froehlich’s efforts as a township committeeman have been lackluster in recent months. She cited some party fundraisers that have been delayed without explanation and suggested she would not be sorry to see Froehlich leave the party leadership.
“This is an opportunity for the Republicans, because of his inefficiency,” she said.
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