Illinois’ Lieutenant Governor Position to be Filled After a Two-Year Vacancy

Illinois' lieutenant governor position is about to be filled after a two-year vacancy.

Sheila Simon will be sworn in Monday, along with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. He'll be sworn in for his first full term as governor.

Quinn was lieutenant governor until January 2009. That's when he took over from then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich who was removed from office by lawmakers after his arrest on federal corruption charges.

The inauguration festivities will include the Inaugural Ball at the Prairie Convention Center in Springfield.

Hundreds of friends and supporters hosted a send-off for Simon in Carbondale Friday evening. The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports Simon performed with her bluegrass band called Loose Gravel. Simon plays the banjo, bassoon and sings.

She is the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon.