Both Carbondale Democrat Sheila Simon and Edwardsville Republican Jason Plummer insist they’re ready to step in and lead the state, including managing the biggest budget crisis in Illinois history.
The state constitution doesn’t provide for filling a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office, which is why no one has replaced Gov. Pat Quinn. Some critics call for eliminating the post and letting another official, like the attorney general, take over if there’s a vacancy in the governor’s office.
“The governor is an exceptionally important position in the United States these days,” said Chris Mooney, political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield. “Far less damage can be done by a senator or a congressman than by a governor.”
Mooney's comments were featured in a October 5, 2010, article in The State Journal-Register.
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