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The 2017 Pension Political Power 25: Bruce Rauner

No. 2. Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois

2. Bruce Rauner
Governor of Illinois

In 2015, Republican Bruce Rauner, former chairman of private equity firm GTCR, was elected governor of Illinois — which has one of the most underfunded state government pension systems in the country — on a promise to bring fiscal stability. Illinois has since become ground zero for pension reform. In December, Rauner, who has a history of antiunion positions, vetoed a bill that would have provided $215 million for pensions for Chicago public school teachers; he said any bailout needed to be tied to statewide pension changes, which he’s been trying to ram through the legislature since he took office. State Democrats overrode his veto, but Rauner, who turns 60 this month, has more support in the House, which has yet to vote. He has appointed outspoken pension reformer Marc Levine to head the $15 billion Illinois State Board of Investment. Levine has done one thing to make pension backers happy: He slashed ISBI’s hedge fund portfolio. — Michelle Celarier


The 2017 Pension Political Power 25
Click below to view profiles
1. Andy Puzder
Secretary of Labor
2. Bruce Rauner
Governor of Illinois
3. Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Education
4. Laura & John Arnold
Founders,
Laura and John Arnold Foundation
5. Steven Mnuchin
Secretary of the Treasury
6. Wilbur Ross
Secretary of Commerce
7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye
California Chief Justice
8. Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House
9. Anthony Scaramucci
Founder, SkyBridge Capital
10. Kevin de León
California State Senator and President Pro Tempore
11. Mike Enzi
Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
12. Steve Sweeney
President,
New Jersey State Senate
13. Jerry Brown
Governor of California
14. Corey Lewandowski
Co-founder, Avenue Strategies
15. Paul Singer
President,
Elliott Management Corp.
16. Randel Johnson
Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
17. Joe Manchin
U.S. Senator
18. Kenneth Feinberg
Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen
19. Scott Walker
Governor of Wisconsin
20. Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO
21. Mike Rawlings
Mayor of Dallas
22. Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senator
23. Kent Mason
Partner,
Davis & Harman
24. Bernie Sanders
U.S. Senator
25. Randi Weingarten
President, American Federation of Teachers

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