More than five years after she left public office, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appeared on the national stage Thursday, speaking on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to encourage voters to elect Vice President Kamala Harris the next president.
Madigan, who was Illinois’ attorney general for 16 years, six of which while Harris was California’s attorney general, told the crowd at the United Center that she and Harris worked together on housing issues.
“I worked with Kamala Harris during the Great Recession to protect homeowners from foreclosure,” Madigan, who spoke for under one minute, told the crowd. “As attorney general of California, Kamala met thousands of people on the verge of losing their homes and their faith in the American Dream.
“She demanded big banks provide mortgage relief to allow families to stay in their homes. She stood her ground and together, we prevailed,” Madigan continued. “For as long as I have known her, Kamala Harris has always taken principled positions and never wavered. Thanks to Kamala’s determination countless Americans have a home they can call their own.”
During her remarks on stage, Madigan stood alongside Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans.
The short appearance by Madigan came on the night Harris was set to accept the Democratic presidential nomination at the United Center at the end of the night. But the decision by the national party to grant Madigan a speaking slot at the DNC was a curious one, especially for those in Illinois who know her also as the daughter of former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.
More Top Picks Best Reading Guides For Kids
Michael Madigan is facing a federal corruption trial that is expected to begin in October. Lisa Madigan owes much of her political career to her father, who helped orchestrate her campaign for attorney general in 2002 after she had served as a state senator from Chicago for four years.
Lisa Madigan decided not to run for a fifth term in the 2018 election, four years before her father was charged in 2022 on a series of corruption charges. She has never been mentioned in any of the actions related to the charges against her father.