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Governor of Illinois
| Illinois Governor | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $205,700 (Salary forgone) |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $18,940,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Four years |
| Authority: | Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 8 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Governor of Illinois
J.B. Pritzker | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Illinois Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Comptroller • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Illinois Commerce Commission | |
The Governor of the State of Illinois is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Illinois. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is not subject to any term limits.[1]
Illinois has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Illinois has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Governor of Illinois is J.B. Pritzker (D). Pritzker assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The state constitution establishes the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive Department.
Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 8
|
The Governor shall have the supreme executive power, and shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws.[1] |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
|---|
 |
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
Per Article V, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution, a governor is required to be:
- at least 25 years old,
- a United States citizen,
- a resident of Illinois for three years prior to election.
Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 3
|
To be eligible to hold the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller or Treasurer, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 25 years old, and a resident of this State for the three years preceding his election. [1] |
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of governors
Illinois elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Illinois, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. The gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the second Monday in the January following an election (Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 2).[1]
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Illinois governors do not face term limits. Illinois is one of 14 states that do not have gubernatorial term limits.
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Illinois governors from 1992 to 2013.
2022
General election
General election for Governor of Illinois
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Illinois on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | J.B. Pritzker (D) | 54.9 | 2,253,748 |
 | Darren Bailey (R) | 42.4 | 1,739,095 | |
 | Scott Mitchell Schluter (L) | 2.7 | 111,712 | |
| Emily Johnson (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 28 | ||
 | Shon-Tiyon Horton (Independent) (Write-in)  | 0.0 | 28 | |
| Elizabeth Sebesta (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 18 | ||
| Total votes: 4,104,629 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mancow Muller (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois
Incumbent J.B. Pritzker defeated Beverly Miles in the Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | J.B. Pritzker | 91.9 | 810,989 |
 | Beverly Miles | 8.1 | 71,704 | |
| Total votes: 882,693 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Illinois
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Illinois on June 28, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darren Bailey | 57.5 | 458,102 |
 | Jesse Sullivan | 15.7 | 125,094 | |
 | Richard Irvin | 15.0 | 119,592 | |
 | Gary Rabine | 6.5 | 52,194 | |
 | Paul Schimpf | 4.4 | 34,676 | |
 | Max Solomon | 0.9 | 7,371 | |
| Total votes: 797,029 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Keisha Smith (R)
- Christopher Roper (R)
- Cheryl Erickson (R)
- Emily Johnson (R)
Past elections
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article V, Section 6.
In the event of a vacancy, the line of succession is as follows: the lieutenant governor, the elected attorney general, and then the elected secretary of state. The wording of the state constitution suggests that an attorney general or secretary of state appointed to fill a vacancy is not eligible to succeed to the office of governor.
The governor may temporarily remove himself or herself from office by stating a serious impediment to discharging the office to the secretary of state and to the officer who would succeed him or her. The governor may resume his or her office at will. Removing the governor against his or her will for reasons of mental or physical health is a power ascribed to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Duties
Charged with upholding and faithfully executing all laws, the governor of Illinois is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. With the Senate's confirmation, the governor appoints all officers not otherwise provided for in law; the governor also makes recess appointments when the Senate is not in session and may remove any gubernatorial appointee for any reason (Illinois Const., Article V, § 9-10).
The governor is required to report to the Illinois Legislature on the "condition of the State" at the beginning of each legislative session. This usually takes the form of a formal "State of the State" address.[1]
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Reorganizing state departments and, if needed to so, convening extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly by Executive Order (§ 11).
- Under § 12, the governor may grant pardons, reprieves and commutations "for all offenses on such terms as he thinks proper."
Divisions
- Updated January 17, 2021
- Budget and Economy
- Education
- Health and Human Services
- Infrastructure, Environment, and Public Safety
- General Counsel
- Senior Advisor
- Communications
- Press Secretary
- External Affairs
- Federal Affairs
- Legislative Affairs
- Policy
- Executive Appointments
- Fiscal Operations
- Human Resources
- Operations
- Public Engagement[2]
State budget
Role in state budget
- See also: Illinois state budget and finances
Illinois operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is:[3][4]
- In September and October of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year, the governor sends budget instructions to state agencies.
- In October and November, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
- Budget hearings with the public are held from February through May.
- On the third Wednesday in February, the governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Illinois General Assembly.
- The General Assembly passes a budget in May.
Illinois is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[4][5]
The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget.[4]
Governor's office budget
The budget for the Office of the Governor in Fiscal Year 2025 was $18,940,000.[6]
Compensation
The salaries of elected executives in Illinois are determined by the Illinois State Legislature as mandated in the state constitution. Article V, Section 21 of the Illinois Constitution also notes that executives cannot receive additional compensation beyond their salaries nor can their salaries be changed during current terms:
Article V, Section 21 of the Illinois Constitution
| Text of Section 21:
Compensation Officers of the Executive Branch shall be paid salaries established by law and shall receive no other compensation for their services. Changes in the salaries of these officers elected or appointed for stated terms shall not take effect during the stated terms.[1] |
2023
In 2023, the governor's salary was $205,700, but it was forgone by Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $184,758, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the governor received a salary of $181,670, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the governor's salary was $181,670. Governor J.B. Pritzker did not accept his salary, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the governor's salary was $177,412. Governor J.B. Pritzker did not accept his salary, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the governor's salary was $177,412. Governor Bruce Rauner (R) accepted $1 of his salary and no state benefits, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the governor received a salary of $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2012
In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $177,412, according to the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the governor received a salary of $177,500.
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, Illinois had Democratic governors in office for the first 11 years while there were Republican governors in office for the last 11 years. During the final 11 years of the study, Illinois was under Democratic trifectas.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82 percent) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27 percent) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Illinois, the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
Illinois was one of eight states to demonstrate a dramatic partisan shift in the 22 years studied. A dramatic shift was defined by a movement of 40 percent or more toward one party over the course of the study period.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Illinois state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. For a period of two years (1995 and 1996), Illinois had a Republican trifecta between two periods of divided government (1992-1995 and 1997-2002). Between 2003 and 2013, Illinois has had a Democratic trifecta. For four straight years, Illinois was in the top-10 in the SQLI ranking between 1997 and 2000 under divided government. Illinois slipped into the bottom-10 in the ranking in the year 2012 (41st) under a Democratic trifecta. The state had its most precipitous drop in the SQLI ranking between 2006 and 2007, dropping nine spots. Illinois had its biggest leap in the SQLI ranking between 1996 and 1997, rising eight spots in the ranking.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 27.10
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 11.50
- SQLI average with divided government: 11.78
Historical officeholders
There have been 43 governors since 1818. Of the 43 officeholders, three were Democratic-Republican, 20 were Republican, 18 were Democrat, and two changed parties while in office.[18]
| List of officeholders from 1818-present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Shadrack Bond | 1818 - 1822 | Democratic-Republican | ||
| 2 | Edward Coles | 1822 - 1826 | Democratic-Republican | ||
| 3 | Ninian Edwards | 1826 - 1830 | Democratic-Republican | ||
| 4 | John Reynolds | 1830 - 1834 |  Democratic
| ||
| 5 | William Lee Davidson Ewing | 1834 - 1834 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Joseph Duncan | 1834 - 1838 | Democratic
| ||
| 7 | Thomas Carlin | 1838 - 1842 | Democratic
| ||
| 8 | Thomas Ford | 1842 - 1846 | Democratic
| ||
| 9 | Augustus C. French | 1846 - 1853 | Democratic
| ||
| 10 | Joel Aldrich Matteson | 1853 - 1857 | Democratic
| ||
| 11 | William Henry Bissell | 1857 - 1860 | Democratic,  Republican
| ||
| 12 | John Wood | 1860 - 1861 | Republican
| ||
| 13 | Richard Yates | 1861 - 1865 | Republican
| ||
| 14* | Richard James Oglesby | 1865 - 1869 | Republican
| ||
| 15 | John McAuley Palmer | 1869 - 1873 | Republican, Democratic
| ||
| 14* | Richard James Oglesby | 1873 - 1873 | Republican
| ||
| 16 | John Lourie Beveridge | 1873 - 1877 | Republican
| ||
| 17 | Shelby Moore Cullom | 1877 - 1883 | Republican
| ||
| 18 | John Marshall Hamilton | 1883 - 1885 | Republican
| ||
| 14* | Richard James Oglesby | 1885 - 1889 | Republican
| ||
| 19 | Joseph Wilson Fifer | 1889 - 1893 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | John Peter Altgeld | 1893 - 1897 | Democratic
| ||
| 21 | John Riley Tanner | 1897 - 1901 | Republican
| ||
| 22 | Richard Yates | 1901 - 1905 | Republican
| ||
| 23 | Charles Samuel Deneen | 1905 - 1913 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne | 1913 - 1917 | Democratic
| ||
| 25 | Frank Orren Lowden | 1917 - 1921 | Republican
| ||
| 26 | Lennington Small | 1921 - 1929 | Republican
| ||
| 27 | Louis Lincoln Emmerson | 1929 - 1933 | Republican
| ||
| 28 | Henry Horner | 1933 - 1940 | Democratic
| ||
| 29 | John Henry Stelle | 1940 - 1941 | Democratic
| ||
| 30 | Dwight Herbert Green | 1941 - 1949 | Republican
| ||
| 31 | Adlai Ewing Stevenson | 1949 - 1953 | Democratic
| ||
| 32 | William Grant Stratton | 1953 - 1961 | Republican
| ||
| 33 | Otto Kerner | 1961 - 1968 | Democratic
| ||
| 34 | Samuel H. Shapiro | 1968 - 1969 | Democratic
| ||
| 35 | Richard Buell Ogilvie | 1969 - 1973 | Republican
| ||
| 36 | Daniel Walker | 1973 - 1977 | Democratic
| ||
| 37 | James Robert Thompson | 1977 - 1991 | Republican
| ||
| 38 | Jim Edgar | 1991 - 1999 | Republican
| ||
| 39 | George H. Ryan | 1999 - 2003 | Republican
| ||
| 40 | Rod Blagojevich | 2003 - 2009 | Democratic
| ||
| 41 | Pat Quinn | 2009 - 2015 | Democratic
| ||
| 42 | Bruce Rauner | 2015 - 2019 | Republican
| ||
| 43 | J.B. Pritzker | 2019 - present | Democratic
| ||
*Note: Oglesby was the 14th governor on three occasions.
State profile
| Demographic data for Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 12,839,047 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 55,519 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 72.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 14.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 5% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 16.5% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 32.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $57,574 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Illinois
Illinois voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 11 are located in Illinois, accounting for 5.34 percent of the total pivot counties.[19]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Illinois had 11 Retained Pivot Counties, 6.08 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Illinois coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Illinois
- United States congressional delegations from Illinois
- Public policy in Illinois
- Endorsers in Illinois
- Illinois fact checks
- More...
Contact information
Springfield
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone:
- 217-782-6830
- 217-782-6831
Chicago
Office of the Governor
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone:
- 312-814-2121
- 312-814-2122
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Illinois Office of the Governor
- Burial places of Illinois Governors
- Article V (Executive) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Illinois General Assembly, "Constitution of the State of Illinois," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, "Office of the Governor," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Experiences with Annual and Biennial Budgeting," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ State of Illinois Office of Management and Budget, "Fiscal Year 2024 Budget," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," January 17, 2021
- ↑ National Governors Association, "Former Illinois Governors," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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