Crisis creates leverage to change.

Crisis creates opportunity.

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

Success is all about persistence and doing the right thing for the long term.

Given my venture capital background, I know the tech sector well.

My wife and I believe that there's nothing we do together as a community that's more important than education.

We've talked through the fact that our family will be attacked. Our family will be dragged through the mud. My businesses that I've helped build and create will be attacked and dragged through the mud. That's politics. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it or thinking about it.

The fact is that politics in Illinois is a blood sport. It's really rough. It's really nasty.

There are plenty of examples of very wealthy people who have run for office and failed, certainly in Illinois.

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.

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

I want to do something that I'm proud of and that I can look back on with pride of accomplishment.

The tax money belongs to the taxpayers. It doesn't belong to the bureaucracy. And government is not a welfare system.

We have a moral duty to have an efficient government.

These political consultants love business guys who've never been in politics to try and take advantage of them. I get that.

I certainly don't need a job. Getting re-elected is not on my Top 10 list.

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

I just want the state fixed, and I just want to do the right thing for the taxpayers.

We have to be bold, tough, and fundamentally change government because Springfield is broken.

The government union bosses are the most powerful politicians in Springfield.

Our government workers should be treated fairly and appropriately. They should have a decent retirement, but not a gold-plated system where they can retire multimillionaires in their 50s.

I like to do things that get results. Results are all that matters.

I don't like to pay lip service. I don't frankly like to talk about stuff.

We need to focus on reducing property taxes. We need to focus on education funding. We need to focus on getting term limits on elected officials.