Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says he has the votes to continue to be speaker. Other Democrats project he doesn’t. It’s setting up what could make for what a political observer called a “circus.”

“The decision on the next speaker of the Illinois House will be made at a caucus, after a full discussion of the issues facing our state and the qualifications of the candidates,” Madigan, D-Chicago, said in a statement late Friday. “I plan to be a candidate for speaker, and today I confirmed that I continue to have support from a significant number of House Democratic caucus members.”