Politics

Gov. JB Pritzker Makes It Official, Says He Is Running for Reelection to ‘Protect Our Story’

JB Pritzker ended months of speculation late Wednesday, officially announcing he will run for a third term as Illinois governor next year.

Pritzker kicked off his campaign Thursday morning in the fieldhouse at Grand Crossing Park on Chicago’s South Side before beginning a two-day statewide tour that will take him to Rockford, Peoria, Springfield and Belleville before ending Friday afternoon in West Frankfort, according to an announcement from his campaign.

“When I was first elected, I told you I was prepared to be a happy warrior on behalf of our state, even if it meant going it alone. I suited up to face the carnival barkers and misery spelunkers and doom grifters,” Pritzker said. “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 fiercely defended his record in Illinois, and depicted the state as an oasis in a nation where freedoms are being attacked from all sides.

“We told the fascist freakshow fanatics to run their experiments on ending democracy somewhere else,” Pritzker said, triggering loud applause and cheers.

But while Pritzker’s announcement is one of the last pieces of the puzzle to snap into place before March’s midterm primary elections, it will do nothing to end talk that his ultimate goal is to win the White House in 2028.

In his less than 30-minute speech, Pritzker only obliquely referred to his ambitions for national office.

“My convictions were forged here with you, and they stand in service to Illinoisans,” Pritzker said. “This state and its people helped shape this country, and the last time we faced an existential threat to our nation, it was a son of Illinois who kept us together. There are no greener pastures than those of the Prairie State. There are no greater people than those of the Land of Lincoln — no greater fight than the one to protect the working families here.”

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to supporters at a campaign launch rally in Chicago on June 26, 2025, telling them in his speech “I have work to do.” (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

In a one-minute, 45-second launch video, Pritzker promised to fight “the chaos and craziness” coming from Washington, D.C. as pictures of President Donald Trump flashed across the screen.

“Government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good — not a weapon of revenge,” Pritzker said. “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. I’m ready for the fight ahead.”

If he wins a third term, Pritzker will become only the second Illinois governor to serve more than two terms and the first Democrat to serve more than eight years in office. Republican Gov. James R. Thompson, who died in 2020, led the state from 1977 to 1991, after winning four terms. Illinois has no term limits on its statewide offices, which are all held by Democrats.

Pritzker’s announcement all but ensures Democrats will avoid a primary fight for their party’s gubernatorial nomination and will keep the 60-year-old billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune focused on Illinois — at least until 2027, when he will have to make a decision about whether to run for president.

As upbeat music plays, video touts Pritzker’s record in office: seven balanced budgets, nine credit rating upgrades, an increase in the minimum wage and caps on the price of insulin, a ban on assault weapons and new protections for abortion rights.

Pritzker will need to select a new running mate, with current Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton running to replace U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who set off a scramble for higher office in April when he announced he would retire and not seek a sixth term.

During his first two runs for governor, Pritzker spent a total of $350 million of his own money and reshaped the state Democratic Party, helping it endure the massive ethics scandal that toppled former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was convicted of bribery and wire fraud and sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

During Pritzker’s time in office, Democrats have enjoyed supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate, ensuring the governor had a clear path for his agenda.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Pritzker founded a national organization to advocate for abortion rights nationwide, helping to elevate his national profile.

When former Vice President Kamala Harris replaced former President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket for president in 2024, she considered picking Pritzker as her running mate but chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Pritzker also worked to bring the 2024 Democratic National Convention to Chicago, and relished the national spotlight on Chicago throughout the gathering, which was not marred by protests as many had feared.

Since Harris lost and Trump returned to the White House, Pritzker has opposed Trump at every opportunity and promised repeatedly to protect Illinois residents from the president’s efforts to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants while rolling back rights for gay and transgender Americans.

Pritzker has also criticized members of his own party, saying they were not doing enough to block the president’s efforts.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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