Pritzker Launches His Legacy Protection Campaign
Gov. JB Pritzker announces his run for re-election in Chicago Thursday. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
NOTE: This story was originally posted for subscribers only. To receive subscriber-only newsletters and content, click here.
Governor JB Pritzker announced his campaign for a third term in office Thursday, citing his successes of his first six-and-a-half years in office without laying out priorities for a third term.
“I ran for governor in 2018 to change our story. I ran for governor in 2022 to keep telling our story. And I am running for governor in 2026 to protect our story,” Pritzker said in a steamy Chicago Park District fieldhouse on the city’s south side.
Pritzker’s speech clearly highlighted his national ambitions as he eyes a potential presidential campaign in 2028. He never mentioned President Trump by name, but was less than subtle with his criticisms of the incumbent president.
“While it is certainly tempting to lay all of this at the feet of the megalomaniac narcissist in the White House and his malignant clown car in Congress, the hard truth is, we all share some of the blame,” Pritzker said.
Reporters pressed Pritzker to pledge to serve a full term in office, but he dodged those questions.
“Truly, everything that I do in my job, and every day when I wake up, is about improving the lot of people who live in the state of Illinois, lifting up the working families of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Whatever I do going forward is going to be about that.”
Republicans, of course, criticized Pritzker’s two terms in office.
"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,” Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said in a statement. “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.”
Pritzker did not announce his new Lt. Governor running mate Thursday, as current Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton is running for U.S. Senate. Pritzker said he would likely announce the name before petitions are circulated beginning August.
He continued his announcement tour Thursday in Rockford, Peoria, and Springfield. He’ll be in Belleville and West Frankfort this morning.
