By AP
Springfield, IL – Facing a crowded field in the Republican primary, former Illinois attorney general Jim Ryan is tossing his hat into the ring in the race for governor. Ryan says his statewide political experience and the personal challenges he's overcome make him the best candidate. He has survived multiple bouts of cancer, his 12-year-old daughter's death from a brain tumor, his wife's near-fatal heart attack and his son's 2007 suicide.
Ryan left politics seven years ago, following a loss to Rod Blagojevich. The 63-year-old has promised not to raise income or sales taxes if elected governor, despite budget problems so severe that next year's budget deficit could reach $12 billion.