Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker expected to announce bid for 3rd term, sources say
The Brief
Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to announce a bid for a third term in office this week, sources told Fox 32.
His name has been floated as a top contender in the 2028 Democratic primary race for president.
Pritzker would be the first Illinois governor since the 1980s to run for a third term.
CHICAGO - Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to announce his bid for a third term as governor of Illinois this week.
Sources told Fox 32 that invitations were sent out for an event on Thursday, where he is expected to announce his third campaign for the governorship.
What we know
While speculation has grown about Pritzker's plans for another run next year, his name has been thrown around as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
Running for re-election as governor could make for awkward timing if he tries to run for the presidency halfway through a third term.
Pritzker, 60, was first elected in 2018, defeating one-term incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican. During his first term, he oversaw the passage of several progressive measures, from recreational marijuana legalization, codifying abortion rights, and a $50 billion infrastructure package. He also led the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other pieces of legislation have been controversial, especially among more conservative voters. The state did away with cash bond, a reform critics have argued would allow people accused of crimes to be set free from jail. The governor also pushed for a change in the state's personal income tax code to allow for a graduated rate system, but voters rejected the proposal in 2020.
The governor went on to easily win re-election in 2022 over former downstate Republican State Sen. Darren Bailey.
The State of Illinois has no term limits for governor, one of only 13 states without a limit.
The last Illinois governor to run for a third term was Republican Jim Thompson, who was the state's longest-serving executive from 1977 to 1991. He was elected to four consecutive terms.
Big picture view
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune who is worth about $3.7 billion according to Forbes, has also been making more of a name for himself on the national stage in recent months.
He's earned headlines for calling out "do nothing Democrats" during a speech in New Hampshire, a key primary election state, and going on late night talk shows.
Earlier this month, he appeared with two other Democratic governors in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee to field questions about Illinois' sanctuary city laws originally passed under his predecessor. He excoriated House Republicans after the hearing for accomplishing "nothing" after hours of partisan back-and-forth jabs.
Pritzker has also been a frequent and vocal critic of President Donald Trump.
Most recently, Pritzker compared the Trump administration to the Nazi regime during his budget address in February. He also called out Trump's accelerating of immigration enforcement around the state, including Chicago.
Trump has at times returned fire. Earlier this month, when fielding questions about his immigration policies, Trump called Pritzker "probably the worst in the country."
Another campaign for governor also means that Pritzker will likely have to select a new running mate because his current lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, is running for an open U.S. Senate seat.
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