| Governor of Illinois | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) | |
| Government of Illinois | |
| Residence | Illinois Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Shadrach Bond |
| Formation | October 6, 1818 (1818-10-06) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Illinois |
| Salary | $177,412 (2015)[1][2][a][b] |
| Website | Government website |
Thegovernor of Illinois is thehead of government ofIllinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in thestate constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of thestate. The governor is responsible for endorsing or vetoing laws passed by theIllinois General Assembly. The office also carries the power of pardon and commutation under state law. The governor iscommander-in-chief of the state'sland, air andsea forces when they are in state service. Illinois is one of 13 states that does not placea term limit for governor.[c]
The43rd and current governor isJB Pritzker, aDemocrat who took office on January 14, 2019.[5] Pritzker was re-elected in 2022 by a 12% margin.[6]
The term of office of governor of Illinois is 4 years, and there is no limit on the number of terms a governor may serve. Inauguration takes place on the second Monday in January following a gubernatorial election in November. A single term ends four years later. A governor is required to be:
If the incumbent governor is no longer able or permitted to fulfill the duties of the office of governor, the line of succession is as follows:[7]
| # | Position | Current office holder | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Lieutenant governor | Juliana Stratton | Democratic |
| 2 |  | Attorney General of Illinois | Kwame Raoul | Democratic |
| 3 | .jpg) | Secretary of State of Illinois | Alexi Giannoulias | Democratic |
The governor is allowed the occupancy of theIllinois Governor's Mansion inSpringfield, the state capital. Its first occupant was GovernorJoel Aldrich Matteson, who took residence at the mansion in 1855. It is one of three oldest governor's residences in continuous use in the United States.
The governor is also given the use of twoofficial residences on thestate fair grounds, located in Springfield andDuQuoin. The official residence in DuQuoin is Hayes House. Governors have traditionally used these residences part of the year.
However, some governors, such asRod Blagojevich, have chosen to not use the governor's homes as their primary residence, instead commuting either by car or plane to Springfield from their home cities.[8] Many Chicago-based governors also have done much of their business out of the governor's office in Chicago'sJames R. Thompson Center, an office building owned by the state named for former governorJames R. Thompson (1977–1991), Illinois's longest-serving governor.
| Timeline of Illinois governors |
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 Illinois statewide elected officials | |
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