SPRINGFIELD -- Tucked away in a corner of the Capitol is a warren of offices that used to be home base for Pat Quinn.

For six years, Quinn camped out in that second floor space on the south wing of the Illinois Statehouse, serving as lieutenant governor under Rod Blagojevich - a position that carries few duties other than having to be ready to step up if the chief executive is unable to finish his or her term.

After Blagojevich's 2009 ouster, it didn't take long for Quinn move into the much larger digs down the hall, leaving the lieutenant governor's office to stand virtually empty.

On a recent tour of the space, visitors were greeted by the sound of the Capitol heating system, which still pours warm air into the offices.

Desks had been hastily cleared in the aftermath of the exodus. One room contains a jumble of furniture. Computer monitors remain, but important paperwork and any personnel effects left by Quinn's staffers is nowhere to be seen.

In all, there are six offices jammed into the small space, including a large, high-ceilinged affair that serves as the main meeting room for the lieutenant governor's team.

The desk in that room was once former Gov. Richard Olgilvie's. The desk was brought into the office in 1991 when newly elected Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra walked into the space to find that his predecessor, George Ryan, had cleaned almost everything out.

To accommodate other aides, there are five offices crammed into the area. There also is a tiny bathroom, a couple of utility closets and a kitchen. In all, the budget allows for about 30 people to work for the lieutenant governor. Some work out of other offices in the Capitol complex.

Even the refrigerator serves as an example of the second-tier status of the office. It is dormitory-sized, large enough for a few lunches for those who might brown bag it.

Also in the kitchen are two vacuum cleaners, although the mismatched carpeting in the offices could easily be tackled by just one.

Whoever wins the post in November will have a chance - and, likely, the time -- to decorate the office as they see fit. In the past century, just four lieutenant governors have gone on to become the state's chief executive