James R. Thompson

“Illinois is a state of great diversity, and that is our greatest strength.”

“I believe that the role of government is to be a servant of the people, not a master.”

“Public service is a public trust.”

“You can't govern from an empty chair.”

“There are two things in politics you never want to see being made: sausages and laws.”

“We have to make the tough decisions, the ones that aren't popular but are necessary.”

“I'm a fiscal conservative, but I'm a social moderate.”

“The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.”