Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Political Future
In a recent interview, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) didn’t completely dismiss the possibility of running for president in 2028. When pressed about his future political ambitions, he expressed that it was “too far” to be thinking about now, emphasizing the upcoming 2026 election instead.
Pritzker, who announced earlier this summer that he will embark on his third term next year, addressed voters who might be hesitant about casting their ballots in Illinois. He stated, “I’ve been in office for six and a half years now. I’ve dedicated myself entirely to Illinois. I always do that.”
He added, “I don’t know what the future holds. What I can say to you is that I am completely dedicated to ensuring that Illinois people are retained and protect them from the tyrants who have taken over the White House.”
Amid ongoing questions from CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe regarding his political ambitions, Pritzker reiterated, “My plan is to run for reelection as governor of the state.” He went on to highlight the quality of Democratic candidates available for higher office.
“I could refer to governors, I could refer to senators. I think there are many good choices,” he noted. “We can say that the reason we don’t think about all of those choices is that we don’t think about what the American people really want.”
O’Keefe reiterated the impressive lineup of potential Democratic candidates for the presidency, to which Pritzker responded, “I’m happy to be able to stand with them when I stand up to Donald Trump.” He has established himself as a strong critic of Trump, notably opposing Republican efforts in Chicago to address crime in cities led by Democrats.
In the same discussion, Pritzker dismissed the notion that Illinois would follow in the footsteps of Texas and California regarding partisan gerrymandering. “That’s not what I want to do, I want you to stop here,” he stated, acknowledging existing legislation in Texas that might influence California.
“I hope it ends there. It should end there. And we need to do a census in 2030 and create a new map in 2031,” he concluded.
