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Thursday, November 6, 2014
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Rauner now turns to governing Illinois The Associated Press
Chicago | Governor-elect Bruce Rauner began appointing a team Wednesday to build his administration and pledged to make good on a promise to turn Springfield on its head, even though Democrats appeared to keep their solid hold on the Legislature. After more than a year of bashing the Democratic “machine” that controls the Illinois Capitol, the Republican businessman could be in for a tumultuous journey when he takes office in January and tries to find solutions for the state’s problems. Among the biggest challenges will be how to balance a state budget without revenue from a tax increase that Rauner opposed. A top Democratic leader signaled Wednesday that his chamber will let the increase roll back on Jan. 1, leaving the governor-elect with a spending plan that’s billions of dollars short of the amount needed to maintain staffing and services. That’s just for starters. Rauner has pushed a new tax on services that Democrats have opposed in the past. He also differs with some party leaders on how and when to raise Illinois’ minimum wage, as well as other major issues. Rauner defeated Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday, carrying every corner of the state except heavily Democratic Cook County. The wealthy venture capitalist and first-time candidate from Winnetka appointed several people Wednesday to lead his transition team. He
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In Brief
Obama faces new dynamic with GOP The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner gives a thumbs up after voting Tuesday in Winnetka. Rauner unseated Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday, ending Democrats’ 12-year grip on the executive office.
said his running mate, Wheaton City Council member Evelyn Sanguinetti, will lead the group. “I am committed to assembling a diverse and talented team to drive results for our state and bring back Illinois,” he said in an emailed statement. Quinn conceded the race during a brief news conference less than a day after insisting he would not give up until all ballots were counted. “It’s clear we don’t have enough votes to win,” he said, adding that it
was important to respect the voters who waited in line — sometimes for hours — to cast their ballots. He did not take questions. Rauner spokesman Mike Schrimpf said the governor-elect spent Wednesday in meetings. Rauner did not plan a public schedule because he’s taking “a methodical, thoughtful approach” to the transition, Schrimpf said. Speaking to supporters after his victory Tuesday, Rauner said voters had asked for a divided government
for the first time in many years, and that called for bipartisan solutions. Rauner said two of his first phone calls after winning were to House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton — two longtime Democratic leaders Rauner slammed during the campaign, and whose support is needed before anything gets done in Springfield. Spokesmen for Madigan and Cullerton said Wednesday that the leaders did not directly speak with the governor-elect.
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Washington | A weakened President Barack Obama and emboldened Republican leaders in Congress began adjusting to a new political dynamic Wednesday after voters coast to coast used the midterm elections to sharpen the dividing lines in an already divided government. Faced with the imperative of constructing a new working relationship, the White House placed a post-midnight call to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, but Obama and the senator didn’t connect as McConnell had gone to bed. Obama did speak to more than two dozen House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates and congressional leaders from both parties and was making more calls Wednesday, the White House said. The election results were resounding: The GOP won control of the Senate and strengthened its hold on the House as a series of Democratic-leaning states fell under control of new Republican governors. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, at a day-after news conference, celebrated the party’s victories at all levels and in states of all political stripes, saying: “This was all about a direct rejection of the Obama agenda.”