Pritzker Begins Changing Tune on Re-Elect
Governor JB Pritzker speaks to an Illinois Education Association conference Thursday. (Photo: Governor’s office)
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Governor JB Pritzker Thursday hinted for the first time publicly that he may not run for re-election in 2026 as he positions himself for a run for President in 2028.
After speaking to a teachers union convention in Rosemont, reporters asked Pritzker about his plans for re-election. He began with his standard response.
“I have not made a decision or an announcement about that, as you know,” he said.
But Pritzker then opened a door he had yet to previously unlatch.
“Whatever it is I’m doing a year from now or whatever announcements get made over the next bunch of months, I will be in this fight,” he said, hinting he may not be seeking a third term and pursuing a new “fight.” “I have always been an active participant in issues that matter to me. The Trump presidency is attacking virtually everything that I believe in. So, whether I’m in office or not in office, what office I am serving in, I will always be in this fight.”
Pritzker, of course, has stoked the fires of speculation on his 2028 plans with multiple national media hits and a planned trip to New Hampshire.
There has been reporting in recent days that his Lt. Governor, Juliana Stratton, is preparing to run for U.S. Senate in 2026 if Senator Dick Durbin does not seek re-election.
Petition circulation for 2026 elections begins this summer.
