Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, with a spokesperson saying he will instead focus on negotiating a state budget.

Inaugurations have long been a time for celebration and planning among members of the winning party. But this year — after a divisive election that polarized the nation — a number of politicians and high-profile celebrities are skipping the festivities.

Rauner has been embroiled in a record-long budget stalemate with Democrats who control the state’s General Assembly. He is scheduled to speak in Springfield for his State of the State address just five days after the inauguration.

“The governor is 100 percent focused on Illinois including passing a truly balanced budget and changing our broken political system,” Rauner’s office said Wednesday to multiple media outlets, responding to reports about the inauguration.

The former businessman and political outsider walked a tricky line throughout the election. As Illinois’ top Republican, he could not appear against the party’s presidential nominee. But in a state that voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Hillary Clinton — and elected Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to replace former Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) — it could be problematic for him to be seen with the president-elect.

During the election, Rauner largely avoided discussing his party’s nominee and skipped the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Though the governor eventually pledged to support his Trump — a decision Democrats used against him later on — he called the campaign rhetoric “appalling” and said he was “horrified” by certain comments.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @davidpkfishman