State Senator Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac) announced he will be a candidate for the Republican Nomination for Illinois State Treasurer. The current State Treasurer, Alexi Giannoulias, has established an exploratory committee, contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate.

"My real world business experience is, in part, why I am being encouraged by Republicans, Democrats and Independents to become the Treasurer for the State of Illinois," said the Senator.

Rutherford is a member of the Illinois Senate and serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Financial Institutions Committee. He is a private sector business executive with the ServiceMaster Company, a position he held prior to being elected to the General Assembly.

"The State of Illinois is in a fiscal mess. We have seen one party dominate the Legislature, the Governor's Office, the City of Chicago and Cook County governments. Chicago has the highest sales tax of any city in the country. Now we are seeing the Democrats passing legislation which would create a new tax on services, state-wide. It's time that the State's Chief Financial Officer be vocal about the repercussions the one party dominance has created," noted Rutherford.

"In addition to being a very good steward of the resources in the Treasury, I intend to use the position as a bully pulpit for jobs in Illinois. As Treasurer, my top three priorities will be jobs, jobs and jobs," commented the Senator!

In closing Senator Rutherford emphasized, "Let me give you an example of how I will run the office of State Treasurer: I will not, nor will anyone from my staff be authorized to use proceeds from a college savings program under my stewardship to buy hybrid SUV vehicles for their use or mine. It is inappropriate."

Further information and a YouTube video by Senator Rutherford are at: www.DanRutherford.org