I'm a business guy. I'm not a politician.

Let's put Illinois back on the road to prosperity.

If Republicans and Democrats commit to working together, we can reach a bipartisan, common-sense agreement to reverse Illinois' economic decline and set the stage for a bright economic future.

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

We cannot accept the status quo of throwing more taxpayer money into a broke and broken system.

The people of Illinois sent me to Springfield to end the era of unbalanced budgets and runaway debt.

Government unions should not be allowed to influence the public officials they are lobbying, and sitting across the bargaining table from, through campaign donations and expenditures.

Government employees deserve to be treated fairly, but they do not deserve a significantly better deal than average Illinoisans get in their own jobs.

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.

Those who want low taxes and healthy job creation know that an unnecessary dollar going to these unions is a dollar that cannot reduce the tax burden on homeowners, small businesses, and job creators.

Big problems usually come from big sources.

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

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.

Great teaching requires incredible talent and dedication, strong intellectual ability and interpersonal skill, real discipline and empathy.

For every challenge we face - unemployment, poverty, crime, income growth, income inequality, productivity, competitiveness - a great education is a major component of the solution.

Illinois will only get economically healthy if we stop focusing on growing minimum wages and start focusing on growing everyone's wages.

Incremental increases in the minimum wage won't address the underlying skills and investment gaps in Illinois.

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

For many young people, the minimum wage is a stepping stone to higher employment levels.

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

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.

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

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

The critical thing is that we have to reduce the tax burden.