Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, Illinois' 40th governor, took his oath of office on Jan. 8 during a ceremony at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center in Springfield.
Blagojevich was joined at the ceremony by his wife, Patricia, and his two daughters, Amy and Annie. During his inaugural address, Blagojevich pledged to continue the work he began four years ago: changing the priorities of state government so it works for people.
'I stand before you as your Governor, once again, humbled by your trust and committed to meet the challenges ahead,' he said. 'There are no words that can properly express my gratitude for the great honor you have given me. I will do my best and work as hard as I can to keep my faith with you.'
During his first term, Blagojevich balanced the budget without raising taxes, according to a press release from his office. In addition, he put a record $13 million into the state pension fund and also raised the minimum wage; starting in July, minimum-wage workers will make $7.50 an hour. In January 2005, he signed the state's gay-rights legislation into law.
The lieutenant governor ( Pat Quinn ) , attorney general ( Lisa Madigan ) , secretary of state ( Jesse White ) , comptroller ( Dan Hynes ) and treasurer ( Alexi Giannoulias ) also took their oaths of office. All of the top statewide offices are currently occupied by Democrats.