Businessman

If yelling and threatening, intimidating and chanting solved problems, Illinois wouldn't have any problems. We're good at that stuff.

Where I'm an outsider is, I'm not a career politician.

I've got to pick my fights at the right time.

Illinois has every reason to succeed. We have the hardest-working people in America, the best infrastructure in America, and the best location of any state.

When I was young, I had minimum wage jobs as a busboy, flipping burgers and parking cars.

To restore our public schools, we must put an end to the selfish agenda of the union bosses.

Government pensions are among the largest cost drivers for state and local governments.

Ronald Reagan helped me become a Republican.

I don't care what the headline is. I want the results.

Being a successful CEO, where I've driven a bottom line, assembled teams, driven results, that's a critical benefit to running the state government.

I'm not the most patient person in the world. I am one of the most persistent people in the world.

Money's important, but it isn't a motivator for me.

When my mother was young, only two professions were open to women ; teaching and nursing. She chose nursing, but the teaching profession was full of talented women like her, confined there in part because they had few career options.

Many of us have been touched by the magic of a great teacher. I know I have.

Frankly, I would never ask a supporter to bet big on me if I wouldn't bet big on myself. It wouldn't be fair.

I will advocate moving the Illinois minimum wage back to the national minimum wage.

I'll be willing to do things that politicians won't do. Because I don't care who I upset.

A C.E.O.'s job is leadership, problem solving, and team building. I've done that my whole career.

I want to transform state government. What it takes is a strong CEO type... a leader who can drive things.

Those who value a strong safety net for our neediest citizens see that every extra dollar spent on these unions is a dollar that cannot go to help the sick, the elderly, and the vulnerable.