Report & Photos by Syed Khalil Ullah

CHICAGO - During a meeting of Democratic committee members held in Northbrook, Tracy Katz Muhl of Northfield Township was appointed as a state representative to fill the recently resigned seat of State Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57th). The  position became available following Jonathan Carroll's resignation a few days ago.

The 57th District includes areas such as Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Glencoe, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Northfield, Riverwoods, Wheeling, Wilmette, and Winnetka.

The meeting was open to the public and began at 7:45 p.m. at the Northbrook Public Library, located at 1201 Cedar Lane. The appointment of Katz Muhl as the state representative for district 57 was decided upon during the meeting. Following the committee meeting, she went to nearby-located Northbrook Village Hall to take the oath of office from Judge Mike Hyene, who represents the 57th State House District.

 A weighted vote of committee members belonging to the departing representative's party within the legislative district is held to decide to fill a state representative vacancy. At this point, only one candidate—a Democrat or a Republican—has submitted an application to compete for Carroll's State House seat in the primary on March 19. That candidate is Katz Muhl.

Furthermore, she is the Democratic committee representative for Northfield Township and has over 50% of the weighted vote.

Several Democrats voted on the appointment last night. These included: Wheeling Township Democratic Committeeman Mark Walker, who holds the second most weighted vote; New Trier Township Democratic Committeeman Dean Maragos, who holds the third most weighted vote; and, Lake County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lauren Beth Gash, who holds the smallest weighted vote within the 57th District.

Cook County's population requires the usage of township committee members, according to Lauren Beth Gash, chairwoman of the Lake County Democratic Party. Due to its smaller population, Lake County utilizes a slightly different procedure. According to Katz Muhl, the meeting is set for Tuesday, January 16, when the State House will be in session.

In May of last year, Katz Muhl declared her intention to run in the next Democratic primary for Carroll's seat. Illinois State Representative Jonathan Carroll (D-Northbrook) announced Friday he is resigning from the elected position at the conclusion of the day. The Democrat said last year he was not seeking re-election when his two-year term ends in November.

 Republican committeeman may employ a similar procedure to select a candidate to compete for the 57th House Seat in November's general election, even though there aren't any Republicans vying for the seat right now. That Republican would also have to get the necessary number of signatures on the nomination petition.