Pritzker makes it official: He's running for a third term as Illinois governor
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker made it official Thursday that he is running for reelection to a third term as Illinois' chief executive.
In a nearly two-minute video released on Thursday morning - in conjunction with the governor's planned two-day statewide tour that kicks off at 10 a.m. this morning in Chicago — Pritzker vowed to 'keep Illinois moving forward' while presenting himself as a bulwark against President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape America.
'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 the video, which focuses on Trump before pivoting to what Pritzker describes as his successes as governor since he first took office in 2019, including balanced budgets, state credit upgrades and hiking the minimum wage.
'We don't just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them,' Pritzker continued. 'Because we know government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good, not a weapon of revenge. Donald Trump's made clear, he'll stop at nothing to get his way. I'm not about to stand by and let him tear down all we're building in Illinois.'
Later Thursday, Pritzker was formally set to kick off his reelection campaign with a rally at the Grand Crossing Park Field House — the place where he launched his initial bid for chief executive in April 2017 where, like now, he attacked Trump.
'Everything we care about is under siege by Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner,' he said then, also citing the one-term Republican governor who he would go on to handily defeat in the 2018 general election.
Pritzker's focus on Trump will likely spur speculation about whether the governor will vow to serve out a full third term or run for president in 2028. Should he run for president and win the presidency, the lieutenant governor would take over for the final two years and Pritzker has yet to announce who his running mate will be. Current Lieutenant Gov. Julianna Stratton is running next year for U.S. Senate to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin.
Still, Pritzker's announcement put him in a position to be in rarefied air in the world of Illinois politics. If Pritzker wins a third term, he'd become the first Democratic governor in state history to be elected to more than two terms in office and the first governor since Republican James R. Thompson served 14 years from 1977 to 1991. Illinois has no term limits on its constitutional offices.
First elected in 2018, Pritzker, a 60-year-old entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, is one of the nation's wealthiest politicians, with a net worth of $3.7 billion, according to Forbes. President Donald Trump is estimated by Forbes to be worth $5.5 billion.
In addition to balanced budgets and credit upgrades, Pritzker - who has repeatedly described himself as a 'pragmatic progressive' — also highlighted in the video that he's increased protections for abortion access for women, signed bans on assault weapons and added jobs to the state's economy.
'I'm running for reelection to protect our progress and continue solving the problems we face,' Pritzker said in the video. 'I'm ready for the fight ahead.'
The South Side rally Thursday morning was part of a six-stop, two-day statewide announcement tour that included Rockford, Peoria and Springfield on Thursday and Belleville and West Frankfort on Friday.
Pritzker is a prohibitive favorite to reclaim the Democratic nomination for governor in the March 17, 2026, primary. No major Republican candidate has yet to surface. The biggest GOP name so far is DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick - and while Pritzker's intention to seek reelection became public on Tuesday, the moribund Illinois GOP waited two days to issue a statement.
State GOP Chair Kathy Salvi accused Pritzker of having 'used and abused the fine people of Illinois, allowing heavy handed government to meddle in the lives and safety of ordinary Illinoisans.'
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As two African nations sign a peace deal, Trump wants credit. But some fear peace may still elude them
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There has been increasing reports of summary executions – even of children – in occupied areas, where aid groups say they are also witnessing an epidemic of rape and sexual violence. The crisis in the eastern DRC, which shares a border with Rwanda and harbors large deposits of minerals critical to the production of electronics, is a fusion of complex issues. Daniel Kubelwa, a Congolese activist and researcher told CNN that the DRC's feud with Rwanda is 'deeply rooted in colonial-era border disputes, unresolved regional tensions, and the consequences of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.' In that genocide, hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias. Rwanda criticizes the DRC, which faces problems with militia violence, for integrating a proscribed Hutu militia group into its army to fight against the mainly Tutsi M23. M23, which first emerged in 2012, is one of the most prominent militias battling for control of the DRC's mineral wealth. The rebel group also claims to defend the interests of the Tutsis and other Congolese minorities of Rwandan origin. UN experts and much of the international community believe that Rwanda backs M23 and supports the rebels with troops, leaving the nation on the cusp of war with the DRC over this alleged territorial violation. The Rwandan government has not acknowledged this claim but insists it protects itself against the Hutu militia operating in the DRC, which it describes as an 'existential security threat to Rwanda.' M23 occupies strategic mining towns in the DRC's eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. In a report in December, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC said they found evidence that minerals 'were fraudulently exported to Rwanda' from the DRC 'and mixed with Rwandan production.' Rwandan President Paul Kagame drew outrage last year when he admitted in a public address that Rwanda was a transit point for minerals smuggled from the DRC but insisted his country was not stealing from its neighbor. Washington's peace accord contains provisions on 'respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities,' including 'disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' according to a joint statement issued by the US, Rwanda and the DRC on June 18. Other points include 'facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as humanitarian access' and the establishment of a 'regional economic integration framework' that could attract significant US investments into Rwanda and the DRC. However, the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), of which M23 is a key member, told CNN it did not participate in the US-brokered peace process between the Rwandan and Congolese governments, but was instead committed to a separate negotiation process mediated by Qatar in its capital Doha. Asked whether AFC would surrender its arms, Victor Tesongo, a spokesperson for the coalition, said it was 'not there yet' and that it was waiting on developments in Doha. He did not confirm whether airports in the eastern DRC that had been shut by the rebels would reopen for aid supply. Previous truce agreements have failed to bring lasting peace between M23 and the Congolese armed forces. In April, the rebels jointly declared a truce after meeting with representatives of the DRC during negotiations led by Qatar. Fighting flared up days after. Qatar has been facilitating talks after Angolan President João Lourenço quit his mediation role following months of inability to broker peace. Activist Kubelwa told CNN that while the US and Qatar-led peace efforts were commendable, 'any deal that doesn't address the root causes (of the conflict) will only serve as a temporary truce.' One of those root causes, he said, was the 'unfair distribution' of the DRC's mineral wealth, which he claimed, 'benefits a small elite and foreign powers, while ordinary Congolese, especially in the east, suffer displacement and misery.' The DRC is roughly the size of western Europe and is home to more than 100 million people. The Central African nation is also endowed with the world's largest reserves of cobalt – used to produce batteries that power cell phones and electric vehicles – and coltan, which is refined into tantalum and has a variety of applications in phones and other devices. However, according to the World Bank, 'most people in DRC have not benefited from this wealth,' and the country ranks among the five poorest nations in the world. Kubelwa said another trigger for the conflict in the DRC was the country's 'weak institutions' and 'suppression of dissent.' Ahead of signing the US-brokered peace deal, Nduhungirehe, the Rwandan foreign minister, told CNN that his nation was 'committed to supporting the ongoing negotiations,' but warned that ending the conflict 'will depend on the political will and good faith in Kinshasa,' referring to the DRC's government. The DRC foreign minister's office said it would comment on the deal after the document is signed. Congolese human rights activist and Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege has described the deal as 'vague' and tilted in Rwanda's favor. After details of the draft agreement were announced last week, he posted a statement on X criticizing it for failing to recognize 'Rwanda's aggression against the DRC,' which he wrote, 'suggests it (the peace accord) benefits the unsanctioned aggressor, who will thus see its past and present crimes whitewashed as 'economic cooperation.'' He added: 'In its current state, the emerging agreement would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace.' Congolese political and economic analyst Dady Saleh told CNN he 'remains skeptical' about the ability of the US peace treaty to ensure a path to peace. For Kubelwa, 'a true and lasting solution must go beyond ceasefires and formal agreements. It must include genuine accountability, regional truth-telling, redistribution of national wealth, reform of governance, and a broad national dialogue that includes all Congolese voices not just elites or foreign allies.' 'Without this, peace remains a fragile illusion,' he said.
CNN
42 minutes ago
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As two African nations sign a peace deal, Trump wants credit. But some fear peace may still elude them
A peace agreement brokered by the White House to stem the bloodshed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a militia allegedly backed by Rwanda occupies vast swaths of land, will be signed in Washington D.C. on Friday by officials of the two African nations. But many remain unconvinced that the accord – portrayed as a 'wonderful treaty' by United States President Donald Trump – can end the complex and long-running conflict, while the militia itself has yet to commit to laying down its weapons. Trump was upbeat about the prospects for peace when teams from Rwanda and the DRC initialed a draft agreement on June 18, while at the same time suggesting that he would not get credit for his role in ending this or other conflicts. On June 20, he wrote on Truth Social: 'This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World! I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this.' He added: 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!' Trump touts himself as a 'peacemaker' and has expanded his interest in global conflicts to the brutal war in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. His peace deal could also pave the way for America's economic interests in the region, as it eyes access to the DRC's critical minerals. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will preside over the signing of the peace agreement by DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe on Friday. More than 7,000 people have been killed, and some one million others displaced since January, when the M23 militia waged a fresh offensive against the Congolese army, seizing control of the two largest cities in the country's east. There has been increasing reports of summary executions – even of children – in occupied areas, where aid groups say they are also witnessing an epidemic of rape and sexual violence. The crisis in the eastern DRC, which shares a border with Rwanda and harbors large deposits of minerals critical to the production of electronics, is a fusion of complex issues. Daniel Kubelwa, a Congolese activist and researcher told CNN that the DRC's feud with Rwanda is 'deeply rooted in colonial-era border disputes, unresolved regional tensions, and the consequences of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.' In that genocide, hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias. Rwanda criticizes the DRC, which faces problems with militia violence, for integrating a proscribed Hutu militia group into its army to fight against the mainly Tutsi M23. M23, which first emerged in 2012, is one of the most prominent militias battling for control of the DRC's mineral wealth. The rebel group also claims to defend the interests of the Tutsis and other Congolese minorities of Rwandan origin. UN experts and much of the international community believe that Rwanda backs M23 and supports the rebels with troops, leaving the nation on the cusp of war with the DRC over this alleged territorial violation. The Rwandan government has not acknowledged this claim but insists it protects itself against the Hutu militia operating in the DRC, which it describes as an 'existential security threat to Rwanda.' M23 occupies strategic mining towns in the DRC's eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. In a report in December, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC said they found evidence that minerals 'were fraudulently exported to Rwanda' from the DRC 'and mixed with Rwandan production.' Rwandan President Paul Kagame drew outrage last year when he admitted in a public address that Rwanda was a transit point for minerals smuggled from the DRC but insisted his country was not stealing from its neighbor. Washington's peace accord contains provisions on 'respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities,' including 'disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' according to a joint statement issued by the US, Rwanda and the DRC on June 18. Other points include 'facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as humanitarian access' and the establishment of a 'regional economic integration framework' that could attract significant US investments into Rwanda and the DRC. However, the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), of which M23 is a key member, told CNN it did not participate in the US-brokered peace process between the Rwandan and Congolese governments, but was instead committed to a separate negotiation process mediated by Qatar in its capital Doha. Asked whether AFC would surrender its arms, Victor Tesongo, a spokesperson for the coalition, said it was 'not there yet' and that it was waiting on developments in Doha. He did not confirm whether airports in the eastern DRC that had been shut by the rebels would reopen for aid supply. Previous truce agreements have failed to bring lasting peace between M23 and the Congolese armed forces. In April, the rebels jointly declared a truce after meeting with representatives of the DRC during negotiations led by Qatar. Fighting flared up days after. Qatar has been facilitating talks after Angolan President João Lourenço quit his mediation role following months of inability to broker peace. Activist Kubelwa told CNN that while the US and Qatar-led peace efforts were commendable, 'any deal that doesn't address the root causes (of the conflict) will only serve as a temporary truce.' One of those root causes, he said, was the 'unfair distribution' of the DRC's mineral wealth, which he claimed, 'benefits a small elite and foreign powers, while ordinary Congolese, especially in the east, suffer displacement and misery.' The DRC is roughly the size of western Europe and is home to more than 100 million people. The Central African nation is also endowed with the world's largest reserves of cobalt – used to produce batteries that power cell phones and electric vehicles – and coltan, which is refined into tantalum and has a variety of applications in phones and other devices. However, according to the World Bank, 'most people in DRC have not benefited from this wealth,' and the country ranks among the five poorest nations in the world. Kubelwa said another trigger for the conflict in the DRC was the country's 'weak institutions' and 'suppression of dissent.' Ahead of signing the US-brokered peace deal, Nduhungirehe, the Rwandan foreign minister, told CNN that his nation was 'committed to supporting the ongoing negotiations,' but warned that ending the conflict 'will depend on the political will and good faith in Kinshasa,' referring to the DRC's government. The DRC foreign minister's office said it would comment on the deal after the document is signed. Congolese human rights activist and Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege has described the deal as 'vague' and tilted in Rwanda's favor. After details of the draft agreement were announced last week, he posted a statement on X criticizing it for failing to recognize 'Rwanda's aggression against the DRC,' which he wrote, 'suggests it (the peace accord) benefits the unsanctioned aggressor, who will thus see its past and present crimes whitewashed as 'economic cooperation.'' He added: 'In its current state, the emerging agreement would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace.' Congolese political and economic analyst Dady Saleh told CNN he 'remains skeptical' about the ability of the US peace treaty to ensure a path to peace. For Kubelwa, 'a true and lasting solution must go beyond ceasefires and formal agreements. It must include genuine accountability, regional truth-telling, redistribution of national wealth, reform of governance, and a broad national dialogue that includes all Congolese voices not just elites or foreign allies.' 'Without this, peace remains a fragile illusion,' he said.
Bloomberg
43 minutes ago
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China Confirms US Trade Framework as Trump Pursues More Deals
It's been a week of wins for US President Donald Trump. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran, NATO agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, and China on Friday saying it has further confirmed details of a trade framework with Washington under which it will deliver key rare earths. Officials from both countries have maintained close contact after holding trade talks in London earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry said. The China deal, which US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said had been signed two days ago, codifies the terms laid out in trade talks between Beijing and Washington, including a commitment from China to deliver rare earths used in everything from wind turbines to jet planes.
