One in four Illinois residents say Illinois is the worst state to live in, according to a 2014 Gallup poll. Additionally, Illinois is the fourth most corrupt state in the nation, based on U.S. Department of Justice data.

Four of the last seven Illinois governors have been imprisoned because of economic and political corruption.

On Nov. 4 Bruce Rauner won the Illinois governor’s race, making him the state’s first Republican governor in more than a decade. He will replace Gov. Pat Quinn in January and will serve with a heavily Democratic legislature.

David Yepsen, current director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said just because Illinois has not had a Republican governor in more than 10 years does not suggest Rauner cannot be effective.

“Bruce Rauner is a businessman,” Yepsen said. “He didn’t get where he got because he can’t do deals.”

Yepsen said Rauner has the potential to work with both parties and wouldn’t be the first Republican governor to be successful.

“Jim Edgar, when he was a Republican governor, had deals with Democrats and he had a successful tenure,” Yepsen said. “There’s even a school of thought that says the two legislative leaders may get along better with Rauner than they did with Pat Quinn.”

Already in control of the U.S. House, Republicans needed to win six seats in November to take control of the Senate. They won eight. Republicans also won four governor seats in states that previously had Democratic governors, including Illinois.

Jim Nowlan, a former Illinois legislator, said Rauner faces many problems upon taking office.

“I think Rauner is going to have a great deal of trouble working with Democrats,” Nowlan said. “It’s going to be tough for him to fulfill the public’s expectations.”

Nowlan, a political science instructor, said a major problem Rauner faces is the state’s budget, which he will have to produce a few weeks after being sworn in.

“His first budget is going to be fascinating because he has to produce a balanced budget with $4 billion less than the $35 billion in the General Fund this year,” Nowlan said. “He won’t be able to do that, so he’ll have to say he needs some revenues beyond what would otherwise be available given the rollback. He more than has his plate full.”

Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic speaker of the Illinois General Assembly Michael Madigan, said Rauner’s win may have more to do with voters on a national level than at the state level.

“The national election appeared to be on the job approval ratings the president had and an inability to motivate voters who would support the president,” Brown said. “The democrats continued to enjoy a pretty good success in Illinois in this last election. They re-elected Sen. Durbin, and kept the substantial majority of the legislature.”

Former SIU President Glenn Poshard said Illinois has had successful Republican governors and hopes Rauner will be the next.

“Well, we’ve had successful Republican governors in the past,” Poshard said. “Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, these people were very successful and generally they governed with Democratic legislatures. So I think he will try to govern as a moderate Republican and if he does I think he’ll find a lot of Democrats are ready to cooperate and reach out and help him be successful.”

Poshard, a former state senator and U.S. congressman, said Illinois wasn’t the only state affected by the Republican Party’s victory and people should want to work together with Rauner toward compromise.

“He did get elected and I think it’s everybody’s hope in the state of Illinois that he will succeed because we’re Illinoisans first and we want the state to do well,” Poshard said. “I think it depends. If he is successful at creating jobs, if he’s successful at solving the pension problems, if he’s successful at bringing the economy back.”

In November, Republican Terri Bryant was elected state representative of the 115th district, defeating Democratic nominee Bill Kilquist. Bryant will take office in January and said Rauner’s background provides him the skills needed to be an effective Republican governor.

“He’s a very successful businessman,” Bryant said. “He has the right idea when it comes to cutting taxes. He has a more business-friendly plan and a more business-friendly attitude.”

Bryant said Rauner’s win didn’t necessarily speak to anything about the Democratic Party, but more about the Republican Party.

“Voters liked what the Republican Party was saying to them, which is we need jobs for this state and we get that by reducing taxes and concentrating on bringing businesses by the state,” Bryant said. “The message the Republican Party had resonated with voters.”

She said this isn’t the first time Illinois voters have switched and voted for the opposite-party candidate.

“I think the lesson that needs to be learned by anyone running for office is that you have to listen to the constituents in your district and your state,” Bryant said. “It’s my plan to work with the legislators in as far as whatever their plan is doesn’t violate my core values. And if they’re good for my district then I’ll work with whoever is willing to work with to better the state.”

Poshard was appointed to Rauner’s transition team and said compromise across both aisles is something Rauner can help accomplish.

“Oh, I definitely think compromise is possible,” Poshard said. “It’s always possible in a democracy. In fact, without it you have a stalemate and I think we’re seeing a lot of this at the federal level in the last few years. But I believe compromise is possible in this state and it’s my hope that Gov. Rauner will reach out across the aisle to democrats.”

Yepsen also said Rauner has the ability to push Illinois in the right direction.

“The campaign is behind us here,” Yepsen said. “It will be a good transition and we have to give him a little time here against the up-an-running, but I think he can get some things done.

Illinois has been a democratic state historically. However, Rauner’s victory against Quinn is a microcosm of the change in the world of politics.