Gov. Bruce Rauner told more than 400 people gathered Friday that his gauge of how well he has done in office will be the state of the economy in central Illinois.

"I will judge my success as governor by how much the economy is booming here in Peoria and in central Illinois," he told a highly receptive crowd at the Gateway Building on Peoria's riverfront. "You reflect Illinois very well. We have the hardest working people in America. They deserve and need opportunity."

The speech, sponsored by several area chambers of commerce, had little in the way of new ideas. Rauner reiterated his objectives he outlined on Wednesday in his State of the State address. But that didn't matter to those in attendance, including state Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria.

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