JB Pritzker to seek third term as Illinois governor amid 2028 speculation
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that he would run for a third term in 2026, amid speculation over his ambitions for the 2028 presidential race, with the release of a campaign launch video featuring sharp criticism of President Donald Trump.
'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,' Pritzker says, appearing at the geographic center-point of the state.
In the video, Pritzker touts his accomplishments as governor over his first two terms, highlighting successful state budgets, minimum wage increases, gun safety efforts, and job growth. Pritzker also echoes the focus of many Democratic candidates on key issues including affordability and abortion rights.
And the billionaire governor, among several high-profile potential contenders for his party's 2028 presidential nomination, presents himself as an effective bulwark against the Trump administration.
'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,' Pritzker says, just ahead of his official declaration that 'I'm running for reelection.' Pritzker is set to formally kick off his reelection campaign with an event in Chicago later Thursday.
In the aftermath of Democrats' losses in 2024, Pritzker has emerged as one of several aspiring leaders for a party still searching for a path back to power. Already the two-term governor of the nation's sixth-most populous state, Pritzker – an heir to a historic family fortune – has leveraged his wealth and influence to raise his profile while the party rebuilds.
He donated $1.5 million to the Wisconsin Democratic Party earlier this year for the blockbuster fight over a state Supreme Court seat, clashing with a rival billionaire, Elon Musk, in a significant victory for liberals. And he's adopted a confrontational approach to the Trump administration while encouraging other Democrats to follow suit.
At a Capitol Hill hearing earlier this month, Pritzker rebuked the Trump administration over its immigration enforcement actions and the deployment of military assets to respond to protests in Los Angeles.
'We will not participate in abuses of power. We will not violate court orders. We will not ignore the Constitution. We will not defy the Supreme Court. We will not take away people's rights to peacefully protest,' Pritzker said. 'We also respect and expect this administration to respect the traditions and legal precedents that dictate how and when our National Guard and military are deployed.'
Pritzker also traveled in April to the traditional early presidential primary state of New Hampshire, further stoking speculation about his ambitions for 2028 while exhorting his party to buck up for the fight against the second Trump administration. 'The reckoning,' he told a room full of revved up Democrats, 'is here.'
In a CNN interview during his visit to the state, Pritzker detailed his feelings about the politics of the moment.
'There is certain momentum where people are now feeling like – well, the politicians are feeling like, 'Oh there's a political reason why I should now speak out and be a fighter.' I don't care why you're joining the fight at this point, we just need everybody out there, right?' he said. 'And then there are others who are joining the fight because they're coming to a real realization that, 'This is much worse than I thought it would be and it's getting worse.' And then I look at some of the people who have capitulated and I wonder in the end, is this how you want people to think of you?'
CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
15 minutes ago
- Axios
Senate ekes out late-night win on Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
Senate Republicans voted 51-49 late Saturday to move forward with President Trump's " big, beautiful bill" — clearing a significant hurdle and setting up a lengthy weekend to pass the legislation. Why it matters: After days of heated debate and complaints, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is barreling forward to get Trump's priorities on taxes, the debt ceiling, border security and military funding passed by July 4. All Republicans but Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) ultimately voted yes, making the final tally 51-49. But GOP holdouts — notably Sens. Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), Rick Scott (Fla.) and Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) — forced the vote to remain open for more than three hours while they negotiated with party leaders, including Vice President JD Vance. Johnson told reporters on Saturday that holdouts were promised a vote on an amendment that would reduce the federal matching share for some new Medicaid enrollees. Scott has been pushing the approach. What to watch: Democrats are forcing the entire 940-page bill to be read on the floor, a process that could take well over 10 hours. Hours of debate, followed by a series of unlimited amendment votes, known as a vote-a-rama, will happen before final passage can take place. Zoom in: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) plans to offer an amendment to strike a temporary pause on states passing AI regulations. It is likely to be adopted, given that other Republicans, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), also are unhappy with the measure. Lee, as the vote was ongoing, announced he would withdraw his plan to sell off public lands to private housing developers. Several other GOP senators, including Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), opposed Lee's provision. Between the lines: Trump ramped up pressure on Republicans on Saturday morning, circulating a statement of administration policy urging the bill's passage. "President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal," the statement read. Senators have been receiving phone calls, lunching and golfing with the president this weekend. The big picture: The new text would delay implementation of a reduced Medicaid provider tax in expansion states. It includes a compromise with the House to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction to $40,000 for five years before reverting to the current $10,000 cap. It would create a $25 billion rural hospital fund, bumped up from $15 billion, an attempt to assuage concerns from some Republicans that bill's Medicaid cuts would devastate rural health providers.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 House Republicans say they will vote against GOP megabill over public land sales
A group of five House Republicans says it will vote against the GOP's tax and spending bill over provisions in the Senate version that would mandate the sale of land owned by the federal government. 'We support the OB3 passed by the House and generally accept changes to the bill that may be made by the Senate. However, we cannot accept the sale of federal lands that Senator [Mike] Lee seeks,' wrote GOP Reps. Ryan Zinke (Mont.), Mike Simpson (Idaho), Dan Newhouse (Wash.), Cliff Bentz (Ore.) and David Valadao (Calif.). 'If a provision to sell public lands is in the bill that reaches the House floor, we will be forced to vote no,' they added. Zinke has publicly said he would not support the bill if it mandates the sale of public lands, but a group of five would be enough to actually prevent the bill from passing, since Republicans can only afford to lose three House votes if every Democrat remains opposed as expected. 'It is our hope that the Senate Parliamentarian strips any language from the bill regarding public lands sales, but we hope we can count on you once again to hear our concerns and work with Senate Leadership to remove the provision that will tank the entire Republican agenda,' the quintet said in their letter, which was addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Republicans are seeking to pass their bill through a process known as budget reconciliation, which allows some measures to pass through the Senate with a simple majority, evading the filibuster. The parliamentarian, who acts as the Senate's referee on what can pass through reconciliation, has already rejected a proposal from Lee to sell off public lands. However, Lee has said he would try again to pass a narrower set of public land sales. Text obtained by The Hill indicates that the revised plan would still sell of 1.2 million acres. While controversial, the public land sales is far from the only intra-party fight facing the legislation. Members are also feuding over provisions related to the extent of cuts to Medicaid and climate friendly tax credits, as well as federal tax deductions for people who live in areas with high state and local taxes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Negotiations between Colorado grocery workers, Safeway fail to reach resolution
Negotiations between Colorado union grocery store workers and Safeway failed to reach a resolution this week after talks broke down over pay and benefits. According to the UFCW Local 7, union president Kim Cordova and a member-led bargaining committee met with representatives of Safeway and Albertsons on Friday and Saturday, but failed to reach an agreement. "Although we made significant conceptual progress on certain items, the company refused to sign a separate tentative agreement on items, including health care," the union said in a Facebook post. "Instead, Safeway/Albertsons is insisting on wages far below competitors in the market here in Colorado and below agreements that have been reached with other local unions in the current bargaining cycle." Workers at Fort Morgan Safeway joined the growing list of employees across the state on strike this week, demanding better pay, benefits and working conditions. Elk rests with picketers at Estes Park Safeway CBS In a humourous turn of events Friday, an elk joined picketers while looking for a place to rest in the shade. The elk cow was seen hanging out with picketers at the Estes Park store under the shade of a nearby tree. The local 7 shared photos on Facebook and quipped, "A special visitor stopped by the Estes Park line today, proof that everyone loves a good picket!"
