Rayne DeVivo is a Hoosier who moved to central Illinois 15 years ago. She lived in Decatur for 10 years and Le Roy for five. She came to Illinois to attend Millikin, where she met her husband, Bob.
Rayne formerly worked for the Illinois Senate Democrat Caucus in Springfield. She spent three years there there as press secretary for three senators, including Lisa Madigan.
While attending the University of Illinois College of Law she had first son, Henry. DeVivo later got a clerkship with the Fourth Appellate Court, and then served as an Assistant Attorney General in Champaign. She worked there for 16 months until the birth of her second son, Quinino and has been a stay-at-home mom for the past seven months.
This past week, she decided to put herself up for the Illinois Lt. Governor nomination. You can support her bid by becoming a fan of her Facebook Fan Page.
Q: Why did you throw your hat into the ring for the Lt. Governor nomination?
A: When I heard people were sending their resumes to Governor Quinn I immediately wanted to follow suit. This is an incredible opportunity to get on the ballot in a statewide race without the grueling work of petitions or primary fund-raising. After I checked the applications available online early last week, I realized I’m far more qualified than many of the people who had applied at that point.
I’ve worked in every branch of Illinois government, I’ve worked and lived in a wide swath of central Illinois, and as a stay-at-home parent, I have the time. I think the statewide ballot could definitely use another woman and someone from downstate. Women are generally reluctant to step forward as candidates unless asked repeatedly, and knowing that, I’m not going to wait to be asked.
Q: If you get nominated for the ticket, what is your platform?
A: The Lieutenant Governor job is an odd bird in state government. The only constitutional role the LG has is to do the tasks the Governor delegates. My platform would therefore be the governor’s platform, because the Lieutenant Governor is a supporting role. I can tell you that personally I think the state being bankrupt is the biggest issue we face and I’m very good at listening to many points of view and coming up with new ideas or compromises. I have a few thoughts on raising revenue without raising taxes.
Q: How can we get behind your candidacy?
A: On Monday, the state central committee will decide who will be the nominee. Each congressional district has both a committee man and a committee woman. You can find your committee members and send them a postcard this week to express your support. My congressional district committee members are former state senators. I worked with both of them as a press secretary or a legislative staffer, so I sent them each a letter to remind them of our work connection and ask for their support.
Q: You stopped out of the workforce after your son was born last fall. What have you learned about yourself in those months you’ve been at home?
A: I have learned I am a much better parent when I have a project or a job, especially for my 5-year-old son, Henry. He and I are so similar that we butt heads when we spend all day every day together. When we have an outing or a project our days go much smoother. It’s difficult to balance the need to go out and do things with Henry and baby Quinino’s need to have two regular naps and an early bed time. I think that’s part of why I’m such an avid vegetable gardener. Gardening gets us out of the house, gives us a project, and yet the baby can be snugly tucked in bed sleeping.
Q: You have a twin sister, Leah. How has your relationship shaped the person you are?
A: It’s hard to answer that because I don’t know what it’s like NOT to have a twin. I do know that I spent a lot of years distancing myself and trying to be cooler than her because I found it grating to be known as a unit and not an individual. It’s the same with using my distinctive middle name instead of my first name, Jennifer.
I have a strong desire to stand out. But now that we are in our thirties, Leah is infinitely cooler than I am and I want to be by her side as much as possible. She’s an Internet rock star and a deeply thoughtful person, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to bask in her glow.
Q: You love to go out and find fun things to do with the kids. What is one of your favorite outings these days?
A: This winter we went to a lot of children’s museums. Our favorites are Normal and Decatur. We are also members of the new Le Roy replex and we are there several times a week to swim, play basketball, take fitness classes, and workout on the equipment. Now that it’s spring, I hear the siren song of Allerton Park, a gorgeous 20-minute drive from Le Roy if you know the right farm roads.