Diana Rauner

Diana Mendley Rauner (Born 1961) is an American businesswoman and president of Start Early, a non-profit in Chicago.[1] She served as the First Lady of Illinois from 2015 to 2019 as her husband, Bruce, served as governor.[2]

Diana Rauner
First Lady of Illinois
In role
January 12, 2015 – January 14, 2019
GovernorBruce Rauner
Preceded byPatricia Blagojevich (2009)
Succeeded byM. K. Pritzker
Personal details
Born
Diana Elizabeth Mendley

1961 (age 61–62)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Lewis Ingall
​
​
(m. 1989; div. 1991)​

​
(m. 1994)​
ChildrenThree (with Rauner)
Three stepchildren[1]
Alma materYale University
Stanford University
University of Chicago

Early life

Rauner was born and raised in New York City, where she was the youngest of three children in a Reform Jewish home.[1] She attended Yale University, where she was also a champion fencer.[3] She was All-Ivy First Team in fencing in 1981-82, and 1982-83.[4][5] She received her MBA from Stanford University, and her PhD in development psychology from the University of Chicago.

First Lady of Illinois (2015-2019)

Rauner is a Democrat, but in 2014 when her husband Bruce Rauner, a Republican, became the Republican nominee for governor of Illinois in the 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election, Rauner appeared in a TV ad for her husband saying "I'm a lifelong Democrat, but enough is enough and the Democratic politicians in Springfield have got to be controlled and I know that is what my husband will do as governor."[6]

On July 18, 2016, Rauner announced a $15 million renovation project for the Illinois Executive Mansion, with the funding being raised privately.[7][8] The work was planned to be completed by the Illinois bicentennial in 2018.[7]

Other activities

She serves as president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an early-learning advocacy organization.[9] In June 2016, The Ounce of Prevention joined a lawsuit fund with other social organizations against her husband, the governor, and various state agencies; the lawsuit demanded payment for services rendered by the agencies, many of which had not received payment for over a year.[10]

References
  1. Manchir, Michelle (December 27, 2014). "Diana Rauner, Illinois' Next First Lady, To Stay Focused on Early Education". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  2. "First lady Diana Rauner focuses on her husband, IL children". WLS-TV. February 17, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  3. Merrion, Paul (April 21, 2014). "The Good Wife's Dilemma". Crain's Chicago Business. 37 (16). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  4. "Ivy History: Women's All-Ivy". Ivyleaguefencing08.wordpress.com. February 4, 2007.
  5. "The Ivy League Men's and Women's Fencing Records Book 2012-13" (PDF). S3.amazonnaws.com. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  6. Lachman, Samantha (April 7, 2014). "Bruce Rauner's Wife Says She's A Democrat, But Mostly Gives To GOP Candidates". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  7. Kamin, Blair (July 18, 2016). "Illinois' First Lady Unveils $15 Million Plan to Renovate Crumbling Executive Mansion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  8. "Private Funds to Cover Executive Mansion Repairs". Rock River Times. July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  9. New York Times: "City to Add Pre-K Efforts in Poor Areas Next Year" By AL BAKER, Nytimes.com, September 24, 2012
  10. New York Times: "Illinois: Governor’s Wife Runs Fund Suing Him Over Budget", Nytimes.com, June 8, 2016
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