Senator Barack Obama, who was first elected in 2004, was elected to the Presidency 4 November 2008. On 15 November 2008, President-elect Obama announced his resignation from the Senate, effective on 16 November 2008.

Tuesday 30 December 2008: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) has announced he will appoint Roland W. Burris (Democrat), a former state Comptroller and Attorney General of the State of Illinois, to fill the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) have issued a joint statement stating they will block the appointment.

The most desirable dates for a possible Special Election to fill the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat from Illinois are 24 February 2009 for a Special Senate Primary and 7 April 2009 for the Special Senate Election itself, as these would coincide with local and municipal elections in the State-- however, this would require the new 96th Illinois General Assembly to pass enabling legislation (approved by the Governor or, if necessary, overriding his veto) which is highly unlikely to be adopted prior to these dates (thus, these are labeled as 'tentative' on this website)-- if Governor Blagojevich is either removed from office via impeachment (highly unlikely before these dates) or should he resign, this would all become a moot point as Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn would, in each such case, thereafter accede to the office of Governor and retain the statutory power to appoint a temporary successor (one presumably untainted by the current allegations against the Governor).
NOTE: the eventual seating of Senator Burris on 15 January 2009 rendered such consideration of a possible Special Election to fill this vacancy moot.

On 5 January 2009, the Secretary of the U.S. Senate rejected the filing of a Certificate of Appointment on behalf of Mr. Burris because said certificate was not signed by both the Illinois Governor and the Illinois Secretary of State.

9 January 2009 update: The ILLINOIS Supreme Court ruled today that the appointment of Roland W. Burris by Governor Blagojevich to fill the vacancy in this seat caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack Obama this past November is valid even without the attestation of Illinois' Secretary of State (who has yet to so countersign Mr. Burris' Certificate of Appointment): the court ruled that the power granted to the States- per the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution- to allow for the temporary filling of U.S. Senate vacancies by their respective Governors where permitted by State law supersedes any rules, customs or traditions of the Senate itself requiring more than mere appointment by the Governor (in essence, then, the court interpreted the term "executive" of the State as found in the 17th Amendment to refer to a State's Governor only and not to any other officials who might otherwise be considered to be part of a State's Executive branch of Government in relation to the act of Appointment [such as a State's Secretary of State or equivalent). The Democratic Party leadership of the U.S. Senate is reported to be going over this ruling as part and parcel of considering what steps to take next as regards the possible seating (or not) of Mr. Burris as the junior Senator from the State.

15 January 2009: Roland W. Burris, appointed by embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich to temporarily fill the vacancy in this seat caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack H. Obama in mid-November 2008, is to be sworn in today.

Friday 9 January 2009:
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR IMPEACHED;
NOW FACES TRIAL IN STATE SENATE

The ILLINOIS House of Representatives has voted to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Illinois) by a vote of 114-1; a trial on the charges brought against the Governor by the House will now have to be held in the State Senate, the other chamber in the Land of Lincoln's bicameral General Assembly; the sole punishment which can be brought to bear as a a result of such a trial would be removal of the Governor from office (which would make no difference as regards the Federal criminal charges Blagojevich currently faces, as these will have to adjudicated in Federal court).

Blagojevich remained defiant in a news conference during which he responded to the House action, claiming that, among the reasons he had been impeached, one was "because I've done things to fight for families".

Thursday 29 January 2009
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR REMOVED FROM OFFICE

After a 4-day-long impeachment trial, the ILLINOIS State Senate voted 59 to 0 to convict Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democratic) per the Articles of Impeachment passed by the Illinois House earlier this month. Mr. Blagojevich, who was first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, is banned from ever again holding office in Illinois. Under Article V, Section 6 (c) of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, the Lieutenant Governor assumes all duties and powers of Governor.

Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn becomes the 41st Governor of the State of Illinois, having taken the Oath of Office at 5:40 p.m. on Thursday 29 January 2009. The Oath of Office was administered by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke in a brief ceremony in the Chamber of the Illinois House of Representatives.

29 January 2009: Democratic Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, who was first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, became Governor after the impeachment and removal from office of Governor Rod Blagojevich.

On Wednesday 5 November 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced Congressman Rahm Emanuel would be his Chief of Staff. Congressman Emanuel, who was first elected in 2002, resigned from Congress on 2 January 2009. There was a Special primary to fill the vacant seat on Tuesday 3 March 2009 and a Special election on Tuesday 7 April 2009. The next regular election is Tuesday 2 November 2010.

Tuesday 3 March 2009 Special Primary Results from a media source.