Succession and tenure On January 29, 2009,
Rod Blagojevich was removed from office by a vote of 59–0 by the Illinois State Senate, and Quinn was sworn in as the 41st Governor of Illinois. Quinn served as Governor from January 29, 2009 to January 12, 2015. When Quinn took the oath of office, Illinois was in the midst of a triple crisis of government corruption at the highest level, budget instability, and economic collapse caused by the deepest recession since the Great Depression. Quinn entered office during a dark chapter for Illinois politics. His early months were focused on restoring public trust, overhauling state leadership, and confronting a fiscal emergency. Quinn made clear his priority was to restore integrity to state government after the Blagojevich scandal. He publicly declared that Illinois was entering an "era of reform," called for passage of stronger ethics laws and campaign finance reforms, and reached out to lawmakers from both parties to rebuild relationships damaged under Blagojevich, who had frequently feuded with the legislature.
Ethics reform When Quinn was sworn in as governor, former Gov.
George Ryan was in jail on federal corruption charges and Ryan's successor,
Rod Blagojevich, had been impeached and removed as Governor for misconduct. Blagojevich was later convicted on federal corruption charges and sent to prison. On January 5, 2009, while still lieutenant governor, Quinn created the Illinois Reform Commission, and appointed
Patrick M. Collins as chair. It was tasked with making recommendations for ethical reform for Illinois government. On his first day in office, Gov. Quinn dispatched crews to take down his predecessor's name which was plastered on dozens of Illinois Toll Highway signs across the state and on June 16, 2011, signed legislation prohibiting elected officials from putting their names on state road signs, billboards, or electronic signs. On August 18, 2009, Gov. Quinn signed a law strengthening the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (Public Act 96-555), which tightened scrutiny of elected officials, state employees, and lobbyists, and prohibited the promise of state jobs, contracts, or political favors in exchange for campaign contributions. Quinn had long been a proponent of the power of recall, first working toward its passage locally in 1976. In 2000, Quinn led a "Recall Ryan" petition drive to remove Ryan for office for his involvement in the licenses for bribes scandal, which ultimately led to Ryan's indictment and 2008 conviction. As governor, pushed for a constitutional amendment to allow gubernatorial recall. Known as House Joint Constitutional Amendment 31, the Recall Amendment was passed nearly unanimously by the General Assembly for consideration by voters in the November 2010 general election. HJCA 31 passed with 1,639,158 votes to 846,966 votes, or 65.9%, well above the required 60% threshold, making Illinois the 19th state to permit the recall of a governor. In June 2009, Quinn launched a panel, chaired by
Abner Mikva, to investigate
unethical practices at the
University of Illinois amid fears that a prior investigation would be ineffective in instituting necessary reforms. The panel was charged with searching the admissions practices, amid reports that the
public university was a victim of corruption. The panel found evidence of favoritism and its investigation culminated in the resignation of all but two University trustees.
Budget, debt, and taxes Quinn inherited a state budget that was in dire straits. The budget deficit grew daily due to the economic consequences of the
Great Recession, when thousands of Illinoisans lost their jobs and their homes. As Governor, Quinn signed six state budgets into law, cutting state spending by more than $5 billion while providing sufficient revenue for vital public services such as education, healthcare, public safety, and human services. In July 2009, Quinn signed a $29 billion capital bill to provide construction and repair funds for Illinois roads, mass transit, schools, and other public works projects. The capital bill, known as "Illinois Jobs Now!", was the first since Governor
George H. Ryan's Illinois FIRST plan, which was enacted in the late-1990s. On July 7, 2009, he for the second time in a week vetoed a budget bill, calling it "out of balance", his plan being to more significantly fix the budget gap in Illinois. Quinn worked in tandem with President
Barack Obama's
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and launched a new project called
Put Illinois to Work, which
The New York Times called "a job program that works." The job total at Chrysler's Belvidere plant went from 200 employees to 4,500 during Quinn's time in office. Over the same period at Ford's plant on the South Side of Chicago, operations grew from one shift and 1,600 workers in 2009 to three shifts and 5,100 workers. Auto suppliers such as Continental Tire greatly benefitted. By the time Quinn left office in January 2015, Illinois had made a significant economic comeback with job creation up and unemployment down across the state. Illinois’ unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since before the Great Recession (6% in January 2015), and unemployment rates fell in every region of the state month after month. Nearly 300,000 private sector jobs were created after the end of the Great Recession, and Illinois’ average wages were eighth-highest in the country, outranking every midwestern state. In 2025, an analysis by the
Illinois Policy Institute found that Quinn's administration held the line on spending to a greater degree than any governor in the previous 25 years.
Infrastructure During the Great Recession, Illinois launched the most ambitious infrastructure investment in its history, anchored by Illinois Jobs Now!, the Clean Water Initiative, and the Move Illinois program with the Illinois Tollway system. Viewed together, Illinois Jobs Now!, the Clean Water Initiative, and Move Illinois represented a coordinated, statewide renewal of infrastructure in the State of Illinois, larger even than the subsequent Rebuild Illinois infrastructure program. Illinois Jobs Now! committed $31 billion to rebuilding the state’s foundation—repairing nearly 8,980 miles of roads, 1,475 bridges, and more than 1,050 schools, while also modernizing public transit, housing, and other critical facilities. Move Illinois is a 15-year, $14 billion capital program that rebuilt and widened the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), constructed the Illinois Route 390 Tollway, began work on the I-490 Tollway, and reconstructed the Central Tri-State (I-294). These projects not only eased congestion and improved freight movement but also stimulated billions in economic growth and supported more than 111,070 jobs. The $1 billion Clean Water Initiative upgraded aging drinking water and wastewater systems through low-interest loans to municipalities, ensuring healthier communities while creating thousands of construction jobs. Together, these efforts generated hundreds of thousands of jobs and delivered improvements that touched every corner of Illinois. Quinn also worked to save Roseland Hospital. "Roseland Community Hospital is an anchor in the community and we will do what we can to protect the patients and employees," Quinn said as he announced state funding to keep the hospital open.
Criminal justice and clemency During his time as governor, Quinn sought to address a backlog of approximately 2,800 unresolved clemency petitions left by his predecessor,
Rod Blagojevich. Between 2009 and 2015, Quinn acted on 4,928 clemency petitions – more than any other Illinois governor. Governor Quinn granted 1,795 and denied 3,133 petitions during his time in office. On his last day in office, Quinn commuted the sentence of Tyrone Hood, who was imprisoned for 22 years for a crime he did not commit. Cook County State's Attorney
Anita Alvarez's press secretary criticized the decision publicly, but Alvarez later dropped the charges against Hood. The City of Chicago later authorized $17.5 million to be paid to Hood as a settlement for his wrongful conviction. Quinn also pardoned abolitionists
Richard Eells and Julius and Samuel Willard, who had been convicted for playing a part in the
Underground Railroad.
State income tax In March 2009, Quinn called for an increase in the personal income tax rate. To help offset the increased rate, he also sought to triple the amount shielded from taxation (or the "personal exemption") – from $2,000 per person to $6,000. During the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Quinn advocated for an increase in the income tax in order to shore up Illinois finances, a difficult topic during a year dominated by the Tea Party. State Senator Bill Brady, Quinn's opponent, opposed additional revenue. Despite being counted out by many political pundits, Quinn defeated Brady in the November 2010 election. With the state budget deficit projected to hit $15 billion in 2011, after the 2010 election, the legislature in early 2011 raised the personal income tax from 3% to 5%, and the corporation profits tax 4.8% to 7%. Governor Quinn's office projected the new taxes would generate $6.8 billion a year, enough to balance the annual budget and begin reducing the state's backlog of about $8.5 billion in unpaid bills. On January 13, 2011, Quinn signed legislation to impose comprehensive state spending caps and enable Illinois to have sufficient revenue for education, healthcare, public safety, human services, and actuarially-required pension funding for state employees and teachers. On January 10, 2012, Quinn signed legislation to give tax relief by doubling the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit and indexing the personal income tax exemption to the cost of living. In early 2014, Quinn suggested a 3% income tax surcharge on the state's millionaires to provide more funding for education. On July 29, 2014, Gov. Quinn signed legislation for an advisory referendum asking voters if they favor an income tax surcharge on the state's millionaires in order to provide much-needed funding for public education in classrooms across Illinois. The proposal passed, but Quinn's successor,
Bruce Rauner, himself very wealthy, did not implement it. A similar proposal passed ten years later, in 2024, at Quinn's urging.
ComEd rate hike vetoes On July 10, 2009, Quinn signed legislation to create a payment plan option for low-income utility customers and cap the amount those customers pay for utilities. In 2011, ComEd pushed the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act, a “smart‑grid” law that switched consumer utility rates to an automatic formula, allowing regular rate increases based on costs rather than oversight. Quinn vetoed this bill in May 2011, saying, "We're the government of the people, and I don't think people are for this. I want to make it clear to the public that they should not be gouged ... by something they don't feel is providing better service." The Illinois legislature, led by Speaker
Michael Madigan, overrode his veto later that year. The law was amended to further weaken the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2013, which Quinn also vetoed. The legislature overrode that veto as well. Federal investigations later showed that
Commonwealth Edison, via lobbyists and executives, engaged in a bribery scheme Speaker Madigan and secure legislative backing for their 2011 and 2013 bills. Testimony from ComEd’s former general counsel, Thomas O’Neill, confirmed that they secured the override of Quinn’s veto alongside promises of no‑work contracts, internships, and other perks for Madigan’s associates. This became part of a larger federal case leading to the 2023 conviction of the so‑called “ComEd Four” — former CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist Mike McClain, and others — for bribery conspiracy, and ultimately the 2025 conviction of Madigan. Quinn’s vetoes of the 2011 and 2013 ComEd-backed utility bills are largely viewed in hindsight as principled stands against corruption and corporate overreach, especially in light of the bribery convictions of ComEd executives and Speaker Madigan. Some editorial boards and watchdogs who once criticized him have since acknowledged he was right to oppose what turned out to be part of a corrupt scheme.
Environment and energy Shortly after taking office, Quinn reopened seven state parks that had been closed by his predecessor. 44 million citizens visit Illinois state parks and other sites each year, generating an estimated $790 million in overall economic impact in Illinois. Later, Quinn announced the reopening of 11 state historic sites that had been closed by his predecessor, including
Frank Lloyd Wright's
Dana–Thomas House. On July 24, 2009, Quinn signed a series of environmental sustainability bills creating the Green Buildings Act to require green practices in state government construction, requiring composting for maintenance of state lands, and focusing on green government. On February 18, 2014, Quinn announced that the U.S. Green Building Council had ranked Illinois number one among all 50 states in the sustainable building design movement, with more than 29 million square feet of certified green buildings, or 2.29 square feet for every resident. Quinn won generally high praise for his leadership on environmental issues, going back at least as far as when he was lieutenant governor, where he helped develop annual statewide conferences on green building, created a state day to celebrate and defend rivers, and promoted measures such as rain gardens for water conservation. As governor, Quinn helped pass measures on solar and wind energy, including sourcing electricity for the state capitol from wind power, and helped secure funding for high-speed rail in the Midwest corridor. As Governor and Lt. Governor, Quinn chaired the Illinois Green Government Council, a council that focused on greening state government and energy efficiency. The Illinois Green Government Council produced public annual sustainability reports tracking overall state government energy usage, fuel usage, water usage, and waste In 2010 and 2014, the
Sierra Club, Illinois's largest environmental group, endorsed Quinn, calling him "The Green Governor." On October 18, 2012, Quinn was joined by
United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Lisa P. Jackson, labor leaders, environmental activists, and local government officials to launch a $1 billion Illinois Clean Water Initiative to overhaul Illinois’ aging water infrastructure. Two years later, of communities had secured low-interest loans through the program for drinking and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
Death penalty On March 9, 2011, Quinn signed the bill which abolished the death penalty in Illinois. On signing the bill, Quinn stated, "It is impossible to create a perfect system, one that is free of all mistakes, free of all discrimination with respect to race or economic circumstance or geography. To have a consistent, perfect death penalty system, I have concluded, after looking at everything I've been given, that that's impossible in our state. I think it's the right and just thing to abolish the death penalty." Though Quinn's successor,
Bruce Rauner, campaigned to reenact the death penalty, it remains abolished in Illinois. In 2011, Quinn received the Courageous Leadership Award from
Death Penalty Focus. The decision was supported by many, including the
14th Dalai Lama. In 2025, a 2011 email was unearthed in which Robert F. Prevost, an Illinois resident later elected as
Pope Leo XIV, hailed Quinn's decision on abolishing the death penalty: “Dear Governor Quinn, THANK YOU for your courageous decision in signing into law the elimination of the death penalty. I know it was a difficult decision, but I applaud your vision and your understanding of the very complex matter. You have my full support! Sincerely, Robert F. Prevost.” After a months-long battle in the legislature, Quinn signed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act into law on November 20, 2013, before a crowd of thousands, making Illinois the 16th state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The new law enabled all couples to have access to the same rights, responsibilities, benefits, and protections of civil marriage. It further protected the religious freedom of churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other religious organizations. In November 2013, Patricia Ewert and Vernita Gray became the first same-sex couple to marry in Illinois, months before the June 1, 2014, effective date, as the result of one of the spouses' terminal illness. Marriage equality became the law nationally as a result of the
United States Supreme Court case,
Obergefell v. Hodges. However, Illinois had legalized marriage equality already, by legislative action rather than judicial. A major step towards marriage equality occurred on January 31, 2011, when Quinn signed legislation that legalized civil unions, with access to the full state legal rights and responsibilities enjoyed by couples that are married. Afterwards, more than 6,000 couples from across Illinois joined in a civil union. The marriage equality law in 2013 also allowed the voluntary conversion of a civil union into a marriage.
Issues of faith On July 28, 2013, Quinn observed
Ramadan by hosting the first-ever Iftar meal in the Illinois Executive Mansion. Quinn continued the Iftar Dinner in 2014. President
Thomas Jefferson is credited with hosting the first Iftar meal in the White House when he hosted a Tunisian envoy in 1805. Quinn also joined the Muslim community to observe the completion of the Holy Month of Ramadan at the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer service in Bridgeview, Illinois. During the occasion, the governor renounced recent incidences of violence against Muslim places of worship and signed a new law to foster religious tolerance. During his tenure as governor, Quinn also supported projects and initiatives significant to Illinois’ Jewish community. In 2009, he joined civic leaders in celebrating the opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, which was built to honor Holocaust survivors and to serve as a center for human rights education. Quinn described the museum as “a beacon of hope” and emphasized its role in combating intolerance. As governor he also issued proclamations marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, advocated interfaith dialogue, and worked with Jewish community leaders on social service and security funding for cultural and religious institutions.[2][3]
Military issues Quinn went to grammar school with
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient
Lester W. Weber, who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1969. In 2006, then-Lt. Gov. Quinn worked with Rep.
Brandon Phelps and Sen.
A. J. Wilhelmi to win passage of the Let Them Rest in Peace Act, which established a zone of privacy around Illinois funerals before, during, and after the funeral. Quinn drafted the Let Them Rest in Peace Act after a hate group repeatedly sought to disrupt Illinois military funerals. The bill was later expanded in 2011. In a proclamation in 2009, Quinn designated the last Sunday of September as Gold Star Mother's Day in Illinois.The Gold Star symbolizes a family member who died in the line of duty while serving in the United States Armed Forces. More than 300 Illinois servicemembers were killed in action since September 11, 2001.
Secure Choice Program In January 2015, Governor Quinn signed the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act into law, establishing one of the first state-facilitated automatic individual retirement account (IRA) programs in the United States. The Illinois Secure Choice program automatically enrolls eligible employees into a
Roth IRA funded through payroll deductions, with participants able to adjust their contributions, select investment options, or opt out at any time. Employers do not contribute funds, pay fees, or assume fiduciary responsibility; the program is administered through the Office of the
Illinois Treasurer, and enforcement of employer compliance is handled by the Illinois Department of Revenue. The law specifies that the program must be self-sustaining, funded by participant fees rather than taxpayer dollars, with costs capped to maintain affordability. Since its implementation, Secure Choice has expanded in stages to cover smaller employers, eventually lowering the threshold to businesses with five or more employees. As of mid-2025, the program reported more than 157,000 participants and over $250 million saved across more than 27,000 registered employers, reaching workers in all 102 Illinois counties. Independent analysis has suggested that participants in Secure Choice experienced improved financial outcomes, including higher credit scores compared to both those who opted out and Illinois residents overall. Illinois’ initiative has been widely recognized as a model for other states considering or implementing similar state-run retirement savings programs. Following the passage of Secure Choice, multiple states—including California, Oregon, and Connecticut—adopted comparable auto-IRA frameworks, often citing Illinois’ experience as an example in program design and governance.
Gubernatorial elections 2010 gubernatorial election In the Democratic primary for governor in 2010, Quinn was challenged by
State Comptroller Daniel Hynes, who had held that office since 1999. Following a contentious primary, Quinn defeated Hynes by just under 9,000 votes, with 50.4% of the vote. While Quinn won the Democratic nomination, the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor went to political unknown
Scott Lee Cohen. Illinois law at the time put Cohen's name with Quinn's in the general election. Difficulties in Cohen's personal life, including allegations of
domestic violence, quickly came to light, threatening the Democrats' chances (and Quinn's) in the fall. Cohen withdrew from the ballot, which Quinn said was "the right decision for the Democratic Party and the people of Illinois." On March 27, 2010, Illinois Democratic leaders selected
Sheila Simon to replace Cohen on the ballot. Quinn faced Republican
Bill Brady in the general election. In April, Cohen announced that he, too, would run for governor, as an independent. In a year marked by the conservative
Tea Party movement, Quinn campaigned on raising Illinois' flat income tax rate, a politically risky move, announcing in March a plan to raise the rate from 3% to 4%. Despite the election campaign for a full term, Quinn said, "Your oath is to the people, not to politics as usual, not to an election year. You’ve got to do hard things." In the general election Quinn's campaign aired television ads produced by
Joe Slade White that repeatedly asked the question of his opponent, "Who is this guy?"
Ben Nuckels was the general election Campaign Manager and was named a "Rising Star of Politics" by
Campaigns & Elections magazine for his efforts with Quinn. Despite political statistician
Nate Silver giving Quinn a 9.4% chance of winning – in a Republican year, while campaigning on new revenue – Quinn won the general election on November 2, 2010, in one of the top political upsets of the year. Quinn's victory was named by RealClearPolitics.com as the No. 5 General Election upset in the country;
Politico said it was the 7th closest gubernatorial in American history. A
University of Illinois professor said that the election wins in 2010 proved that, "When push comes to shove he has shown himself to be the best closer in Illinois politics."
2014 gubernatorial election In 2012, Quinn stated that he was running for re-election in 2014. Discussions started to emerge about whether there would be a Democratic primary challenge to Quinn, which the media dubbed a potential "family feud." Quinn said, "I don't believe in family feuds. I like to see families come together." In the summer of 2013, former
White House Chief of Staff and former
United States Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley, who had worked for
JPMorgan Chase before and after his stints in government, declared a run for governor in the Democratic primary against Quinn. Despite being the son of longtime Chicago mayors
Richard J. Daley and brother of
Richard M. Daley, Daley failed to secure support from the
Cook County Democratic Party, which slated Quinn.
Lisa Madigan, the
Illinois Attorney General, had also considered challenging Quinn, but announced that she would not run, as her father,
Michael Madigan, was still Speaker of the Illinois House: “I feel strongly that the state would not be well-served by having a governor and speaker of the House from the same family and have never planned to run for governor if that would be the case. With Speaker Madigan planning to continue in office, I will not run for governor,” she announced. Quinn was ultimately challenged in the Democratic primary by Tio Hardiman, the former director of
CeaseFire, but won 72% to 28%. The income tax that was passed in 2011 was set to expire in 2015, and Quinn was once again in the position of advocating for revenue in an election year by making the 5% rate permanent. The plan to maintain the 5% rate was supported by, among others, former Governor
Jim Edgar, a Republican. He also proposed a $500 property tax rebate to help property taxpayers. Quinn faced Republican businessman
Bruce Rauner in the general election. Rauner injected a record amount of his own money into the race, and campaigned on allowing the income tax to expire and curbing the power of labor unions like the
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Rauner meanwhile faced allegations that he had engaged in pay-to-play to get his daughter into
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, and that as a businessman, he had threatened a female CEO. Journalist Dave McKinney resigned from the
Chicago Sun-Times after the Rauner campaign sent an opposition research file to the
Sun-Times editors in an effort to quash the story, and McKinney was put on "house arrest" by the paper. Quinn was defeated by Rauner in the general election, 50% to 46%. == Post-gubernatorial activities ==