Will County Gazette

In a recent news release, Patrick Sheehan, Republican candidate for the 19th District of the Illinois Senate, demanded that state Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) resign due to allegations of misconduct.

WIFR reported that Hastings has been accused of domestic violence by his divorced wife and harassment by his former chief of staff. In mid-August, he resigned from his post as Senate Democratic Majority Whip.

"I have done my best to run a positive campaign on my record of supporting and defending our families and community," Sheehan said in a press release he posted on Facebook. "However, the abuse allegations against my opponent have become too serious to ignore."

Sheehan joined Gov. JB Pritzker in calling for Hastings to resign in light of the allegations, arguing that taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for the senator's inappropriate conduct.

"Integrity is essential to public service, and corruption for personal gain and abuse in private or public is unacceptable," Pritzker said in a recent press release on Illinois.gov. "Illinoisans deserve to have elected leaders who are focused on representing them - not on holding office when facing serious and credible charges."

Hastings has declared he would not resign, labeling the claims as "baseless and without merit," a recent WTTW report said.

"The people of the 19th Senate District deserve better," Sheehan said in the press release. "As a police officer for over 16 years, I have consistently defended women from their domestic abusers and harassers. I can tell you, the kind of people who conduct this type of behavior have no place in our government."

Sheehan and Hastings are currently campaigning for the Illinois Senate District 19 seat in November, a Ballotpedia report said. 

Sheehan, who was born and raised in Chicago's Beverly area, earned a degree in criminal justice from Saint Xavier University and started working as a law enforcement officer in 2006, his website said.