Republican Rauner names Democrat Vallas to Chicago State board

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner has named a former political rival and a retired state lawmaker to state posts.

The first-term Republican appointed Democrat Paul Vallas on Friday to the Chicago State University Board of Trustees. Vallas is one of four people Rauner appointed to the board of the embattled public university, where only 86 freshmen enrolled this past fall.

Vallas was the first CEO of Chicago’s city-controlled Board of Education. He narrowly lost the Democratic primary for governor in 2002. In 2014, he was Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s running mate. Quinn lost to Rauner.

Rauner also named former Rep. Don Moffitt an assistant director in the Agriculture Department. The Gilson Republican ended a 23-year-career in the House last week.

The governor named Jason Barclay to the State Board of Education. Barclay was a lawyer in the governor’s office before entering the private sector.