Want to pass a bill? Go see Madigan. Want to get elected? Better talk to Mike. Arguably as powerful as the mayor, Madigan redrew the legislative map and promptly added seven seats to his majority. He seems to prefer Republican governors, as if a fellow Democrat somehow blurs the org chart. That could change if Madigan gears up to put daughter Lisa in the governor’s office in 2014, as some are predicting. A swan song for the speaker, or new heights of power?

Photograph: RICHARD FOERTSCH/PHOTO PROSE