SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — J.B. Pritzker, the multibillionaire whose actions over the past year have suggested he may be eyeing a run for president, on Monday was sworn in as Illinois governor for the second time, an occasion he used to issue bold proposals for universal preschool and free college tuition. Pritzker, who turns 58 this month, is the first Illinois governor to start a second four-year term since 2007, when Democrat Rod Blagojevich took the oath. During his reelection campaign, Pritzker leaned on his record of whittling debt, credit-rating agency upgrades and bolstering the state’s “rainy day” fund. But in his Election Day victory speech, the second-term governor appealed to a broad constituency, barely mentioning Illinois while indirectly lambasting former President Donald Trump, who will seek a second term in 2024. Pritzker has overseen paying down a mountain of debt, including $17 billion in overdue bills to vendors at one point.

Source: Forbes January 09, 2023 20:02 UTC