Pritzker to run for a 3rd term
Happy Wednesday, Illinois. New York's ranked choice voting has us interested.
TOP TALKER
HE's DOING IT: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is set to announce on Thursday that he'll seek a third term in 2026, leaving open the possibility that he could also run for president in 2028.
The Democratic governor, who's been on a media blitz criticizing President Donald Trump's administration, will make the announcement at events starting Thursday in Chicago before traveling to Springfield and across the state in the coming days, according to two people in the campaign.
Pritzker is seen as a shoo-in to win the Democratic primary in March. Republicans have yet to step up with a challenger.
Illinois does not have term limits for its statewide offices, though there hasn't been a three-term governor since Republican Gov. Jim Thompson, who won four times and held office from 1977 to 1991.
Pritzker's campaign kick-off comes after months of speculation about whether the state's top Democrat would run for re-election at a time of budget uncertainty — and then run for president in 2028, too. Watch for that to be a Republican talking point.
Pritzker has headlined numerous national speaking engagements in recent months, fueling the buzz about a presidential run.
In an interview with POLITICO, Pritzker insisted he's just trying to bring attention to Illinois and highlight the Trump administration's tariffs and cuts to his constituents.
The big question for Thursday's announcement is whether he will also bring out a running mate. We hear that's not likely. Watch him announce his No. 2 down the road, allowing for another media bump.
Current Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has served with him both terms, is now running for the U.S. Senate seat held by the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
Pritzker self-funded his past two campaigns — spending a combined $350 million to do so — and will do the same this time around.
THE BUZZ
GETTING INTERESTING: State Rep. Kam Buckner, former County Commissioner Richard Boykin and SEIU's Anthony Driver Jr. are considering running for Congress in the IL-07 District now represented by Rep. Danny Davis.
They join a growing list of potential and declared candidates who are tip-toeing around Davis as he has yet to reveal his future political plans. We hear he'll announce in early July.
It's starting to irk some folks who wonder if Davis is just holding out to make it hard for candidates to start a campaign, allowing him to open a lane for an anointed candidate.
Davis' chief of staff insists the congressman is just 'assessing' his next move. 'More people are telling him to run than telling him not to run,' said Tumia Romero.
Our assessment: Davis is 83. His back hurts. And he's facing a political moment of increased scrutiny on age.
Meanwhile, potential candidates are waiting in the wings.
Buckner is the Illinois speaker pro tempore and co-leader of House budget negotiations and an education and transit modernization advocate.
Boykin is a former Cook County commissioner who previously worked as Davis' chief of staff for nearly 10 years. He's an attorney and president of Bridge Builders Consulting and Legal Services.
Driver is executive director of the SEIU Illinois State Council and president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which works to improve police oversight and public safety.
Driver, Boykin and Buckner are still just 'considering' a run and won't jump in until Davis makes an announcement.
Announcing Thursday: Marine Corps veteran and Chicago comedian John McCombs, who served as a public affairs officer at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and currently works at the Naval Station Great Lakes training new sailors. He's also traveled the world doing stand-up comedy, something he started while in college.
Politics is part of his show, says the 34-year-old McCombs, who describes himself as progressive. 'My experience as a Marine was to fight and win battles, and as a standup comedian it's to communicate in any room.'
He joins state Rep. La Shawn Ford and businessman Jason Friedman, who also have filed to run along with fellow Democrats Kamaria Kali and Jerico Brown.
Others still considering: Chicago Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., who serves as vice mayor and is the longest-serving West Side elected official next to Davis; Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who ran for the seat in 2024; Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins; and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Kari Steele.
You counted right: That's 12 candidates.
If you are Danny Davis, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
WHERE'S JB
No official public events
WHERE's BRANDON
At Arie Crown Theater at 9 a.m. for the Chicago Fire Department firefighter and EMT graduation
Where's Toni
At the Cook County building at 10 a.m. to launch the next phase of the Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program
Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
BUSINESS OF POLITICS
— IL-09: The progressive 314 Action Fund is endorsing Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. 'He's a proven leader, delivering results rooted in facts and data. As Trump and Republicans try to strip millions of their health care to give tax breaks to billionaires, Daniel will work tirelessly to protect the district,' said Shaughnessy Naughton, the group's president, noting Biss' experience as mayor, state legislator and local activist. 314 Action is a national nonprofit that recruits, trains and helps elect STEM candidates up and down the ballot.
— Speaking of IL-09: State Sen. Mike Simmons is considering a run for the congressional seat now held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Simmons is taking part in a candidate forum Sunday with other announced candidates. Details here
— IL-06 REMATCH: Republican Niki Conforti is running for the seat held by Democratic Congressman Sean Casten. The two faced each other in 2024, too. 'With our strong foundation from the 2024 election and my background in business and policy, I am confident we can flip this seat in 2026,' Conforti said in announcing her campaign. 'People feel disenfranchised. Something needs to give, and I am the change agent.'
— Nick Uniejewski has been endorsed by Dick Simpson, the former Chicago alderman and political consultant, in his bid for the 6th District state Senate seat. Uniejewski is a Democrat primarying state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz.
THE STATEWIDES
— New Illinois laws: Gas tax, hotel offerings set for changes on July 1, via NBC 5
— CDC confirms Illinois' first human case of West Nile virus this year, by USA Today's Hannah Hudnall
— Challenges persist for women, minorities breaking into Illinois' skilled trades, by Capitol News' Maggie Dougherty
TAKING NAMES
— Janice Jackson is stepping down as founding CEO of Hope Chicago, a nonprofit that offers debt-free college scholarships and wrap-around services to students and their parents. She's exiting 'to pursue other career opportunities, effective Aug. 1,' according to a statement. Jackson, the former head of Chicago Public Schools, has been mentioned as a potential 2027 mayoral candidate.
— Michael O'Grady has been named chair of the Civic Committee. In his day job, O'Grady is CEO of Northern Trust. He succeeds Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions, by Crain's Brandon Dupré.
CHICAGO
— City mum on what documents it provided ICE in Streets and Sanitation subpoena, by the Tribune's Alice Yin
— Bucking policy trend, public access to video of CPD Officer Krystal Rivera's fatal shooting is delayed, by the Tribune's Madeline Buckley and Sam Charles
— After objections, Chicago Police agree officers won't search vehicles based on smell of raw cannabis, advocates tell judge, by WTTW's Heather Cherone
— New Jersey solar company Nautilus relocates headquarters to Chicago, by the Sun-Times' Abby Miller
— Woman charged with driving car through downtown anti-ICE protest, by the Sun-Times' Cindy Hernandez
— 'Danke Schoen": Ferris Bueller vest sells for $279,400 at auction, by the Block Club's Gwen Ihnat
COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS
— Suburban lawmakers, Democratic and Republican, address concerns about political violence: 'It's unfortunately a real consideration that any time I am going to have a public event I have to think about what the security situation is,' said Democratic state Rep. Bob Morgan. 'The temper and tone of political rhetoric has been out of control for quite some time,' added Republican state Rep. Marty McLaughlin, by the Pioneer Press' Daniel I. Dorfman.
— DuPage to establish community land bank, trust to incentivize more affordable housing, by the Tribune's Tess Kenny
— OPINION: Cook County stands with public servants as feds purge workers, Toni Preckwinkle writes in the Sun-Times
Reader Digest
We asked who you're hoping the Bulls get in the draft.
Brian Caminer: 'Derrick Queen of Maryland.'
Rev. Tyrone McGowan: 'Anyone other than another guard.'
Ron Michelotti: 'Rasheer Fleming of St. Joseph's College. He's 6-8 and can shoot threes.'
Omari Prince: 'Ace Bailey is definitely out of the picture, but I hope the Bulls land Will Riley or Danny Wolf.'
Timothy Thomas: 'Another University of Illinois veteran to join Ayo Dusomo, specifically either Kasparas Jakučionis or Will Riley.'
Noah Walch: 'Derik Queen seems like the consensus answer and would be fine with me, but something about the height and rawness of Yang Hansen appeals to me. Otherwise, cross your fingers Khaman Maluach falls to 12.'
NEXT QUESTION: What do you like or not about ranked-choice voting?
THE NATIONAL TAKE
— Mamdani topples Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary: It was a race about affordability v. fear and affordability won, by POLITICO's Jeff Coltin and Joe Anuta
— Dems struggle to respond as Trump's Iran strikes sow chaos, by POLITICO's Elena Schneider and Nicholas Wu
— Rubio credits president for pushing NATO allies to increase spending, by POLITICO's Felicia Schwartz
— White House sends Dr. Oz to calm Senate nerves, by POLITICO's Adam Cancryn
TRANSITIONS
— Paula R. Worthington has been named senior policy adviser at the Civic Federation. She's a long-time senior lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
EVENTS
— July 1: Screening of 'Drop Dead City,' a documentary about New York City's financial crisis in the 1970s. It's presented by the Chicago Policy Center, Civic Federation and Better Government Association. Their pitch: 'What New York fixed with courage and oversight, Chicago can fix too, if we learn from history.' Details here
TRIVIA
TUESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Barbara Flynn Currie for correctly answering that Jeanne Hurley and Paul Simon were Illinois House members (not Senate) who married each other.
TODAY's QUESTION: What year did Mayor Richard M. Daley first suggest closing Meigs Field? Email skapos@politico.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Former state Sen. Mike Jacobs, The Strategy Group partner Aviva Bowen, Globetrotters Engineering CEO Ajay Shah, philanthropy pro Francee Harrington, Fisher Broyle Deputy General Counsel Jayne Reardon, blogger John Kass and Tribune political reporter and POLITICO alum Olivia Olander
-30-
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
5 minutes ago
- Business Insider
The finance-world memes about Mamdani's expected NYC primary win
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani shocked New York by leading the Democratic mayoral primary. His victory isn't assured yet. There's still a general election to come. Many in the finance world are struggling to accept his possible win, as showcased in the memes they posted. Wall Street is posting through it. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani shocked New York on Tuesday night by becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, ran on a platform that has terrified some in the business community. Of particular concern to finance types, he wants to raise corporate taxes to 11.5% and add a 2% income tax on New Yorkers making more than $1 million. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the previous frontrunner, conceded to Mamdani, though an official outcome for the primary won't come until July 1, after ranked-choice results are tabulated and announced. Here are some of the notable reactions so far View this post on Instagram A post shared by New Yorkers (@newyorkers) You and your friends better get out and vote, asshole… cuz we're not coming for 20% of your carried interest… we're coming back for 100% of it (She's a Bushwick Zohran girly who's dad is a SMD at Blackstone) — LBO Vinny (@LeveredVinny) June 25, 2025 When you were partying, I was out capturing rats. While you were at work, I was out at the club. While you were ordering DoorDash, I was puffing a hookah And now that the world is on fire and the barbarians are at the gate, you have the audacity to come for me for help? — High Yield Harry (@HighyieldHarry) June 24, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Overheard on Wall Street (@overheardonwallstreet) X/Boring_Business people who moved from nyc to greenwich before zohran — sophie (@netcapgirl) June 25, 2025 every NYC finance guy on my main feed right now — 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐞 (@EffMktHype) June 25, 2025 Tuesday's results aren't the final word. Cuomo could still run as a third-party candidate in November. New York Mayor Eric Adams is already running as an independent. And Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, is once again the Republican Party's nominee.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mayor Jane Castor renames Tampa River Center after Bob Buckhorn
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Wednesday renamed the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park after Bob Buckhorn, who led the city for eight years and is a likely frontrunner in the 2027 mayoral race. The newly minted Bob Buckhorn River Center sits on the 25-acre park in northwest downtown Tampa, overlooking the Hillsborough River. Castor told a crowd of attendees Wednesday morning that in the last year, the center has hosted more than 200 events and generated more than $600,000 in revenue. Activities at the River Center and park run the gambit, from weddings to children's summer camps. The park is named after former Tampa Mayor Julian B. Lane, who led the city during desegregation. Development along the Hillsborough River was decades in the making and a priority for Buckhorn. While in office from 2011-2019, Buckhorn, a Democrat, lobbied for a federal grant to complete the Riverwalk — which he told the Tampa Bay Times in 2019 was his best accomplishment in office. Buckhorn oversaw a boom in downtown development and streamlined the city's permitting process. He hasn't made an official bid for office, but there is strong speculation he will seek another term. 'This facility is near and dear to me, as it is to a lot of people in this community,' Buckhorn said Wednesday. 'I think it is symbolic of the amazing transformation that we find ourselves in right now.' Tampa has a tradition of honoring mayors once they're out of office by naming something in the city after them. Castor said Buckhorn's 'fingerprints are everywhere' in Tampa and also proclaimed June 25, 2025 as Bob Buckhorn River Center Day. 'People will talk about Tampa being on the map,' Castor said, 'but, really, Bob was the one that put us there.' During his speech, Buckhorn celebrated development that has come from the Riverwalk, particularly for its effect on the West Tampa area. He recognized the additional affordable housing units that have been built and a new Publix that is opening later this year. The neighborhood's value increased from $275 million in 2015 to now more than $1 billion, Buckhorn said. Buckhorn's wife, one of his daughters, Grace, and mother also attended the ceremony. 'We've got more to do,' Buckhorn said. 'Now, let's get it done.'
The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
Fed's Powell repeats warning about tariffs as some GOP senators accuse him of bias
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs will likely push up inflation in the coming months, even as some Republican senators suggested the chair was biased against the duties. On the second day of his twice-yearly testimony before the House and Senate, Powell said that consumers will likely have to shoulder some of the cost of the import taxes. Most Fed officials support cutting rates this year, Powell added, but the central bank wants to take time to see how inflation changes in the months ahead. 'There will be some inflation from tariffs coming,' Powell said under questioning from members of the Senate Banking Committee. 'Not yet, but over the course of the coming months.' Powell noted that the duties would likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars annually, and 'some of that is going to fall on the consumer. We're just kind of waiting to see more data on that.' Some GOP senators criticized Powell, however, for characterizing tariffs as a potential driver of inflation. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, argued that the duties could simply act as a one-time increase in prices that wouldn't fuel inflation. And Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, echoed some of Trump's complaints about Powell's reluctance to cut rates and accused Powell of political bias. 'You should consider whether you are looking at this through a fiscal lens or a political lens because you just don't like tariffs,' Moreno said. Powell didn't respond. But the Fed chair reiterated that most central bank officials do support cutting the Fed's key rate this year. And Powell added that it is possible that tariffs won't increase inflation by very much. Trump has sharply criticized Powell for not reducing borrowing costs, calling him a 'numbskull' and a 'fool.' Trump has pushed for rate cuts in order to reduce the interest costs the federal government pays on its debt. Yet some Fed officials have pushed back against that view, saying that it's not their job to lower the government's borrowing costs. So far, inflation has steadily cooled this year despite widespread concerns among economists about the impact of tariffs. The consumer price index ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, the government said last week, a sign that price pressures are muted. Compared with a year ago, consumer prices rose 2.4% in May, up from a yearly increase of 2.3% in April. Yet most economists on Wall Street expect that Trump's tariffs will lift inflation this year, to about 3% to 3.5% by the end of this year.
