JB Pritzker announces re-election campaign for Illinois governor
The Brief
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday he's running for a third term, highlighting gains in fiscal stability, abortion access, and worker protections.
He launched his campaign with a statewide tour and a video contrasting Illinois' progress with Washington's dysfunction.
Pritzker, seen as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, may need a new running mate as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton runs for U.S. Senate.
CHICAGO - Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that he will run for a third term, pledging to build on the economic and social progress his administration has made since taking office in 2019.
Pritzker, 60, launched his campaign with a video titled "Keep Illinois Moving Forward," positioning the state's gains under his leadership — from balanced budgets to abortion access — as a stark contrast to what he called "chaos in Washington."
"These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense," Pritzker said in a statement. "We don't just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them. Because we know government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good, not a weapon of revenge.
Pritzker addressed a crowd of his supporters at a rally Thursday morning at Grand Crossing Park in Chicago, the site of his initial campaign launch in 2017.
Pritzker begins his re-election push with a two-day tour across the state that includes stops in Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Belleville, and West Frankfort.
Illinois does not impose term limits on governors. The last governor to serve three terms was Republican Jim Thompson, who held office from 1977 to 1991.
Dig deeper
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 other side
ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi released the following statement after Pritzker's announcement:
"JB Pritzker's first two terms have been nothing short of a total failure. He's prioritized illegal immigrants over Illinois families, hiked taxes, and rammed through the largest, most bloated budget in state history. He has used and abused the fine people of Illinois, allowing heavy handed government to meddle in the lives and safety of ordinary Illinoisans. These last nearly eight years under his governance merits firing not rehiring. While businesses and families flee, Pritzker sees Illinois as nothing more than a stepping stone for the White House."
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.
The Source
The information in this story came from Gov. JB Pritzker's office and previous FOX 32 reporting.
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