Why Pritzker Was Passed Over For VP
Governor JB Pritzker answers questions at a news conference in Chicago Monday. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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It appears Governor JB Pritzker was among finalists still under consideration for Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate until at least late in the weekend, sources say, potentially even until Monday.
The Harris campaign announced Tuesday morning the Vice President had chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Pritzker issued a statement nearly immediately Tuesday praising the choice of Walz, but we’re told Pritzker was likely under consideration until very late in the process.
Sources say while Pritzker did not travel to Washington to meet with Harris in person this weekend, the two did speak at least once this weekend. Pritzker apparently had “multiple” conversations with Harris’ vetting team into the weekend.
Pritzker met with reporters at an unrelated news conference Tuesday morning and described vetting as a “grueling, long process.”
“There were lots of questions and information and so on that happens in that process,” Pritzker said. “It was handled with the utmost professionalism and I was glad that I made it through that process and made it to the final number of candidates.”
We previously reported Pritzker was “very interested” in the job, but his statements Tuesday indicated he had trepidation if asked to join the ticket.
“You often hear me say ‘I love being the Governor of Illinois.’ I really do love being the Governor of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “So, I was very torn during this process about being a participant in it. I know that [in] this job that I’m doing now, we’re making a big difference.”
Sources say Harris told Pritzker Monday he would not be the choice for Vice President.
We asked Pritzker’s campaign to confirm the timeline of events, but our message was not returned Tuesday night. Pritzker said Tuesday he had “several” interactions with Harris.
Pritzker did say Tuesday he told Harris on the phone he is “1,000 percent on board” and that he would put his “heart and soul into this election to help her win.”
Pritzker had high praise for Walz, who he called a “terrific midwestern governor.”
“We’ve been governors the exact same amount of time. We both got elected in 2018. He has done terrific things in Minnesota,” Pritzker said. “He is a kind and decent human being. Tim Walz cares deeply about the work that he does and every person that he interacts with.”
One Washington-based Democrat official, speaking to The Illinoize on condition of anonymity, but who wasn’t involved in the vetting process, said vetting Pritzker’s wealth and his solidly blue home state likely hurt Pritzker’s chances.
“It had to be incredibly hard to get through that kind of financial documentation in the kind of time crunch the Harris campaign had,” the Democrat said. “So Harris and her team surely decided there was more risk than reward there, especially considering she had such other good candidates without the vetting problems.”
When asked if he was interested in serving in a potential Harris cabinet Pritzker showed hesitance, saying “that is not something I have contemplated.”
Pritzker said many of the questions he was asked during the vetting process were comparable to a regular job interview.
“It’s an honor to be considered,” Pritzker said. “Even if some of those [questions] are like a colonoscopy,” borrowing a line from former Senator Joe Lieberman.
