Pritzker inaugurated as Illinois governor, cementing Democrats' control of state government
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Democrat J.B. Pritzker became Illinois' 43rd governor Monday, acknowledging the challenges the state faces and saying "our abdication of responsibility must end."
His inauguration at a pomp-filled ceremony in Springfield capped a dominant campaign, when he defeated Republican Bruce Rauner by promising to change the state's tax system, legalize recreational marijuana and restore social services that languished during a historic budget stalemate that dominated state politics over the last four years.
Without referencing his predecessor by name, Pritzker sought to suggest times were changing in Springfield after Rauner's four years marked by fights with Democrats and a long budget war.
"That starts with leadership that abandons single-minded,
