Gov. JB Pritzker's running mate is a fellow Chicagoan, but says he will ‘represent all of Illinois'
The governor a day earlier announced he had selected Christian Mitchell, a former state representative for parts of the South Side and a former deputy governor, to run as lieutenant governor, and their visit to Peach's restaurant on 47th Street was their first public joint appearance.
'When you're a state rep, you don't just represent the people in your district. You are also are voting on things that are good for people all across the state,' Pritzker said, standing next to Mitchell by a case of sweet drinks and cake in the crowded restaurant. 'We have passed bills that have been highly beneficial to job creation, expansion of health care, funding of education for people who live in — whether it's Anna, Carbondale or Quincy or Champaign.'
Pritzker's partner in his first two terms, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, is running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, which left the position open. Stratton and Mitchell are both Black and live on the South Side, bringing a different perspective to the ticket than the governor.
The Chicago versus downstate dynamic in has been an source of friction in state politics for years, and Pritzker's choice figures to play into that issue going forward. For his part, Mitchell, 38, said he is ready to meet people from all over Illinois.
'In a tavern, at a bar, at a coffee shop, I'm willing to go anywhere, because my goal is to represent all of Illinois,' he said, after he and Pritzker spent about a half hour greeting a crowd of supporters and early lunch customers at Peach's, whose website features a photo of former President Barack Obama at the restaurant's counter.
Mitchell's agenda as a legislator meshed closely with Pritzker's initiatives during the governor's two terms. Mitchell was among a group of legislators who called for a task force to study the possible legalization of recreational marijuana, and he introduced a proposal to eliminate cash bail — both ideas that eventually became reality after Pritzker became governor.
During the 2018 election cycle, Mitchell also served as executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party, becoming the first African American to hold the position. He was a deputy governor in the Pritzker administration from 2019 to 2023 and a lead strategist on energy issues, including the landmark 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
Since 2023, he's overseen government relations and other offices at the University of Chicago, his alma mater.
Pritzker has repeatedly said the next lieutenant governor will have to fill the legacy being left by Stratton.
Stratton raised more than $1 million in her first quarter as a Senate candidate, according to her campaign, trailing fellow Democratic candidate and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, whose campaign reported it raised more than $3.1 million.
Krishnamoorthi, one of the top fundraisers in the House, ended the quarter with $21 million on hand, according to his campaign.
Stratton has only had a few months to build up her operation, Pritzker noted when asked about the fundraising numbers Wednesday.
The extent to which Pritzker, a billionaire who spent $350 million on his first two campaigns for governor, ends up supporting Stratton financially remains to be seen.
'You have to remember that Juliana has not had to raise money as lieutenant governor for me, and so she's going against people who have raised money for the last number of years,' Pritzker, who quickly endorsed Stratton this spring, said. 'She doesn't need to have as much as anyone else in the race. She is somebody that people all across the state know and admire.'
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Advertisement Legislative walkouts often only delay passage of a bill, like in 2021, when many Democrats left Texas for 38 days to protest proposed voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed that measure. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member House without two-thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, according to a Democratic aide. The Texas Supreme Court held in 2021 that House leaders could 'physically compel the attendance' of missing members, but no Democrats were forcibly brought back to the state after warrants were served. Republicans answered by adopting $500 daily fines for lawmakers who don't show. Abbott, meanwhile, continues to make unsubstantiated claims that some lawmakers have committed felonies by soliciting money to pay for potential fines for leaving Texas during the session. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Blood reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, also contributed to this report.
