--- description: Venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who campaigned on a promise to run Illinois more like a business, has won the Republican primary and will challenge Gov. Pat Quinn in his re-election race later this year title: Illinois: Bruce Rauner Seals GOP Bid for Governor's Race image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3aabb5e1af5819bf/6986861113c79f809e1911a8/rauner.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Primaries](/tag/primaries/) ## Primaries Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Bruce Rauner Wins GOP Nod for Illinois Governor by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2014 9:50 AM CUT  Republican candidate for Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner celebrates with his wife Diana after winning the nomination in the Illinois Primary in Chicago March 18, 2014. Republican candidate for Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner celebrates with his wife Diana after winning the nomination in the Illinois Primary in Chicago March 18, 2014.Jim Young—Reuters by [David Stout](/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2014 9:50 AM CUT Business tycoon Bruce Rauner is set to square off against [Illinois Governor Pat Quinn ](http://time.com/29753/rauner-wins-gop-nomination-for-illinois-governor/ "undefined")after sealing the Republican nomination on Tuesday night. The venture capitalist has already poured millions of dollars into his campaign in a state where Democrats have controlled the governor’s office for more than decade. According to the AP, Rauner raised over $14 million during the primary race, which included $6 million of his own money — a new high-water mark for an individual candidate seeking a gubernatorial nomination in Illinois. During the Republican primary, Rauner promised to bring his enterprising experience to the table and run the state more like a business if elected, while also vowing to wrest institutions from the influence of labor unions. \[[AP](http://time.com/29753/rauner-wins-gop-nomination-for-illinois-governor/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/29878/bruce-rauner-takes-republican-nomination-for-illinois-governor-race/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/29878/bruce-rauner-takes-republican-nomination-for-illinois-governor-race/"},"headline":"Bruce Rauner Wins GOP Nod for Illinois Governor","datePublished":"2014-03-19T09:50:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:50:28.037Z","description":"Venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who campaigned on a promise to run Illinois more like a business, has won the Republican primary and will challenge Gov. 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