Meet JB
Throughout my life, I’ve taken on big challenges — and I’m proud to see how we’re making progress and moving Illinois in the right direction.
My values have led me to do big things that have a lasting impact on people’s lives, and since taking office in 2019 as Governor of Illinois, I’ve been working every day to put our government back on the side of working families.
We’ve gotten a lot done during my time in office.
Together, we raised the minimum wage to a living wage; launched the largest program to build roads, bridges, schools, and broadband in Illinois history; expanded health care, child care, and early childhood education; provided $1.8 billion in tax relief on groceries, gas, and property taxes; made college more affordable; passed a nation-leading climate plan; enshrined protections for reproductive rights into law; and put Illinois back on the path to fiscal stability — in addition to navigating the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic.
But I know we have more to do.
I’m proud of the progress we have already made, and there is so much more to do for working families. As we continue to tackle this pandemic and overcome issues working families are facing, I’m confident in our ability to meet the challenge and continue to get big things done for the people of Illinois.
I’m the husband of the best First Lady in the nation and the dad of two great kids.
Since I first met MK more than 30 years ago, she has been my partner in everything, and I’m so happy that the love of my life is helping to make our state a better place to raise a family. We’re very proud of our two children, and we’re reminded every day that the work we do right now is about making a better life for generations to come.
Meet Juliana
I am Juliana Stratton. I am a wife, a mother, a lifelong Illinoisan, and I am honored to serve as Illinois’ 48th Lieutenant Governor.
When I was sworn in on January 14th, 2019, I pledged to be a leader who would listen to different perspectives and be a partner in bettering the lives of all residents. While we have made great strides in repairing the damage of previous administrations, JB and I know there is much more work to do.
I’ve spent my life bringing people together to solve problems, and that’s what I’ve been doing for Illinois.
I’m proud to lead the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative, which allows me to advance principles of restorative justice and address the harm done by our justice system. In Illinois, our Restore, Reinvest, Renew Program is taking steps to direct unprecedented funding toward communities most devastated by the war on drugs. As Chair of the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, I am fighting for gender pay equity and to expand leadership opportunities for women and girls throughout our state. And as the Chair of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, I’m working to tackle food insecurity and increase access to telehealth in our rural communities in the face of unprecedented need.
I’ve always fought for what’s right.
As a State Representative, I spent every day standing up for my constituents and ensuring their voices were heard. As Director of the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I sought to create safer communities through convening and training public safety stakeholders to work more effectively with community residents. And as a mediator and administrative law judge, I worked to create more fair and equitable workplaces.
I’m a lifelong Illinoisan and mother of four daughters.
I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. My dad is a Navy veteran and a doctor. My mom was a school teacher. I graduated from a Chicago public high school, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the DePaul University College of Law. My husband Bryan is the love of my life, and we have four amazing daughters who make us proud and inspire us every day.