Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner was in Washington Thursday for a meeting with the Illinois congressional delegation.
It’s common for the governor to visit the state’s members of Congress, but it is unusual for a not-yet-sworn-in governor-elect to do so. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) says that was the beauty of the meeting.
“To be here, to open the lines of communication, to talk about bipartisanship, but to not only talk about it but to do what I think he’s going to do, which is going to be walk the walk, I think it’s a great start, and I’m optimistic that we’ll all be able to work together on major issues,” he said after the meeting, which was closed to the press.
From the Democratic side, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Western Springs): “I was very happy the governor(-elect) came out here. He knows that he’s gonna need to work with the Illinois delegation out here, so it’s good to see that. I hope he continues to do it, continues to reach out to us, and I think he’s sincere about doing that.”
There were no specifics, and Rauner was whisked away afterward without commenting.