Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle says taking a high-level job with the new governor of Illinois does not mean she intends to revive her political career on the mainland.
In fact, Lingle said not only is she not planning to run for office again, but her position as senior adviser to Gov. Bruce Rauner is only temporary. Her commitment is for one term only, she said, and after that she’s planning to return to Hawaii.
"I will not run for office in Hawaii or anywhere else," she declared Friday.
Lingle will be part of Rauner’s "Turnaround Team," a trio of outsiders with experience in budgeting and management who are expected to help the political novice and first Republican governor in Illinois in a dozen years to improve the state’s dismal economic outlook. Also on the team is a state budget expert who has worked with Republican governors in four states and a former chief operating officer under two Georgia governors.
Lingle, who is in California teaching a semester-long political science seminar at California State University, Northridge, said she wasn’t looking to take on a new job until a friend sent her a text two weeks ago asking whether she might consider an opportunity in Rauner’s administration.
While she didn’t know Rauner personally, she was aware of his election victory, and she agreed to talk to him. She ended up flying to Illinois a week later and meeting the man for the first time Jan. 16.
"We hit it off," Lingle said, recalling her visit with the former private equity fund manager worth billions.
Rauner, who campaigned on government reform, is a transformational figure, talented businessman and impressive individual, Lingle said. Ultimately, his pitch was too enticing to turn down.
"I wasn’t looking for a job," she said. "I likely wouldn’t have done it for anyone else. He’s just so committed to the people of Illinois. I’m really excited."
She will start June 15. Rauner asked her to start immediately, but she told him she needed to fulfill her commitment to Northridge, where a full load of students was signed up for her public policy and political leadership course.
According to the news release announcing the appointment, "Gov. Lingle oversaw a $10 billion annual budget (in Hawaii) and made state government more transparent, responsive and accountable."
Lingle said the job announcement wasn’t supposed to happen for some time, but Rauner let it out during a speech at the University of Chicago on Thursday. Lingle was on the Northridge campus setting up for her class when she received a call from a Rauner aide informing her the news slipped out.
"He’s a person in a hurry to do his job," she said.
As senior adviser, Lingle will act as chief operations officer, managing the day-to-day affairs of the state government with an emphasis on the departments and the governor’s Cabinet.
"I will be in on every call, and I’ll have input on everything," said Lingle, who will split her time between the state capitol at Springfield and Chicago.
The former two-term governor and Maui County mayor said being an outsider will have its advantages and disadvantages. It’s true she will need to brush up on local customs and history, she said, but Rauner was also looking for lieutenants capable of tackling problems from a new perspective.
The St. Louis-born Lingle said she expects to feel comfortable working in Illinois. "The people of the Midwest remind me of the people in Hawaii. They’re both down to earth," she said.
For now Lingle will continue teaching in California and return to Hawaii during spring break in April to complete her taxes, get a haircut and take care of other matters. She will go back to California to finish out the semester and return again to Hawaii in May. Lingle said she will rent out her Hawaii Kai apartment and take her two cats with her for her 31⁄2-year stint in Illinois.
After losing her 2012 bid for the U.S. Senate seat to Democrat Mazie Hirono, Lingle said she took much of the next year off — reading, visiting friends and traveling to Vietnam and China. Although she’s been to China on official visits, she said she enjoyed seeing the country this time as an ordinary tourist.
Lingle has also been involved in the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Governors’ Council and began teaching at Northridge a year ago.
While the 61-year-old Lingle said she’s not interested in running for office again, she said she still wants to "make a difference" in Hawaii. She helped with Republican Charles Djou’s unsuccessful campaign for Congress last year, and she’s offered support to Hawaii Republican Party Chairwoman Pat Saiki. She said she’s still hopeful Hawaii will see a stronger two-party system.
With news about the job hitting the media Thursday, Lingle said she received texts and emails from lots of people wishing her well and letting her know of friends and relatives in Illinois whom she can call for help.
"It was very touching."
