Rauner’s victory speech: ‘The voters have spoken’

Republican Bruce Rauner claimed victory on Tuesday night, saying Illinois voters were prepared for a new direction.Here’s a transcript of Rauner’s remarks: “You ready for a new direction? Are you ready to bring back Illinois? This election is about bringing back our great state. This is a victory for our taxpayers who need to have a lower tax burden. This is a victory for our workers who deserve to have a booming economy. This victory is for our students, our children who deserve the best schools in America. And this is a victory for our citizens who deserve a government without corruption and giving term limits on our elected officials in Springfield. This is an historic time in Illinois. The voters have spoken. The voters have asked for divided government.For the first time in many years, we’ll have a Republican governor and a Democratic legislature. And the voters have chosen to have a divided government, not so we can fight, not so we can bicker, not so we can get angry with each other. But it’s to find solutions, bipartisan solutions to solve the problems of Illinois. Just a few minutes ago, I placed two very important phone calls. I called Speaker Madigan. I called President Cullerton and I said to them: This is an opportunity for us to work together. This is an opportunity to work together on a bipartisan basis, to solve the problems, the challenges facing families in Illinois. This is our time. This is a transformational period. We will not accept the status quo. We are going in a new directoin. The voters have spoken. Booming economy. Booming economy. We will get it done with your help. With our help we’ll get it done. We are here tonight to go to work for you. We are honored, we are humbled to go to work for you and every family in this great state. I want to say thank you, to everyone here tonight. I want to say thank you to everyone in the great state of Illinois. I’m honored, I’m humbled to go to work for you.We have to accomplish two overarching goals and I will do it — I will work with everyone We need Illinois to be competitive and we need Illinois to stay compassionate. We can’t do one without the other, they are critically important. … The most vulnerable among us need our help, they deserve our help. But we cannot provide that assistance unless we are also competitive. Unless we are also attractive place to do business…a thriving economy creating jobs for everyone who wants to work and create a strong, dynamic future for our children and our schools…We need to be competitive and compassionate….We have to fundamentally change the structure and the operation of our government. We cannot allow our government to be wasteful, inefficient, ineffective.”