Democrats retake Illinois governorship with Pritzker win

Billionaire Democrat J.B. Pritzker has defeated incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) to become the next governor of Illinois in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races in the country.

Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, poured millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign and had the backing of former President Obama, who also served in the state legislature and later represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate.

{mosads}Pritzker’s victory means Democrats again have full power over the state’s government, with the party also keeping control of the legislature. Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the state by nearly 20 points in 2016.

Pritzker consistently led Rauner in the polls throughout his campaign by double digits.

In his first and only term in Illinois government, Rauner became one of the most unpopular governors in the country among members of both parties.