The governor of Illinois is the head of state and head of governmentofIllinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state. The governor is responsible for enacting laws passed by the Illinois General Assembly. Illinois is one of 13 states that does not have a gubernatorial term-limit along with Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Puerto Rico. The governor is commander-in-chief of the state's land, air and sea forces when they are in state service.
| Governor of Illinois | |
|---|---|
| |
J. B. Pritzker since January 14, 2019 | |
| 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) |
| Salary | $177,412 (2015)[1][2]^α ^β |
| Website | Government website |
The 43rd and current governor is J. B. Pritzker, a Democrat who took office on January 14, 2019.[3]
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:[4]
| # | Position | Current office holder | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Lieutenant governor | Juliana Stratton | Democratic |
| 2 |  |
Attorney General of Illinois | Kwame Raoul | Democratic |
| 3 |  |
Secretary of State of Illinois | Alexi Giannoulias | Democratic |
The governor is allowed the occupancy of the Illinois Governor's MansioninSpringfield, the state capital. Its first occupant was Governor Joel 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 two official residences on the state fair grounds, located in Springfield and DuQuoin. The official residence in DuQuoin is Hayes House. Governors have traditionally used these residences part of the year.
However, some governors, such as Rod 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.[5] Many Chicago-based governors also have done much of their business out of the governor's office in Chicago's James R. Thompson Center, an office building owned by the state named for former governor James R. Thompson (1977–1991) Illinois' longest-serving governor.
