Posts Tagged ‘Elections’
Who is contributing to Illinois’ U.S. Senate candidates?
Capitol News Illinois
Article Summary
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi raised the most money in the first quarter of fundraising for the 2026 Illinois Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and has already launched a TV ad.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton received money from some of the most politically connected donors in state politics, from Gov. JB Pritzker to lobbyists and owners of Chicago sports teams.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly had the lowest fundraising total but has more than $2 million available.
Ten other candidates in both parties have also filed federal campaign committees but did not report substantial contributions.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
TV advertising has already begun in Illinois’ 2026 Democrat primary for U.S. Senate, and new fundraising numbers released Tuesday show the race is shaping up to be expensive.
The quarterly reports submitted to the Federal Elections Commission shed light on how candidates are spending money as well as who is contributing to them. Donations are pouring in for U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton — the three most high-profile Democrats so far to launch their campaign.
Gov. JB Pritzker has already put his thumb on the scale of the race, endorsing Stratton a day after she launched her campaign in April. But the billionaire governor has a financial stake in the contest as well.
Pritzker contributed $3,500 to Stratton’s primary campaign, and another $3,500 earmarked for the general election. It’s the maximum amount allowed in an election cycle for an individual contribution under federal rules, meaning he can’t contribute anything close to the $300 million he’s dumped into his own campaigns for governor.
Pritzker can still find other avenues to financially support Stratton later, such as through a dark money political action committee he launched in 2023. And he wasn’t the only Pritzker to donate to Stratton. His wife, MK, his two adult children, and his cousins Adam, John, Gigi and Jennifer, all contributed the maximum $7,000. Jennifer Pritzker is a former supporter of President Donald Trump who has more recently supported Democratic candidates.
Kelly vs. Pritzker round 3
The race has also set a third battle between a Pritzker ally and Kelly.
Underlying the contest is Kelly’s past history as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. She was elected party chair in 2021 against Pritzker backed candidate and Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris to replace Mike Madigan who bowed out of the job after losing the speakership that year. But the following year, Kelly ended her bid for reelection as party chair after it became clear she would not have enough support to beat State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, for the leadership role. Hernandez was also backed by Pritzker.
Read more: Democratic Party chair bows out in re-election bid, paving way for state Rep. Lisa Hernandez
Kelly, of Matteson, argued a lot of people on the party’s state central committee “were sad to see me go.”
“The people in the party, they know me, they know the work that I’ve done,” Kelly told Capitol News Illinois last week. “Despite what happened, I’ve still been an effective leader. I’m the only one that’s been an effective leader on every level of government and has delivered on every level.”
Kelly says money isn’t going to decide the race.
“They have a lot of money, but you know what, I’m just using every opportunity to tell my story and I don’t feel like I need the most money in the race to win the race because I feel like I have an excellent story to tell,” Kelly said.
Between her two campaign committees for her U.S. House seat and a new committee for her Senate bid, Kelly raised $565,775 from April 1 through June 30 and has $2 million in her campaign accounts.
Her donors include a lengthy list of corporate political action committees, many local officials in her 2nd Congressional District, and some notable names in Illinois government. They include former state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt and Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon. Gordon also contributed to Stratton’s campaign.
Stratton’s contributions
Stratton’s cash balance of $666,416 is the smallest in the race, as it is her first time running for federal office and first time running for office alone since she was a state representative in 2016. She raised just over $1 million since launching her campaign in late April.
Stratton has pledged not to take any money from corporate political action committees, though Krishnamoorthi and Kelly have received such donations. She returned a contribution from the central Illinois energy company Marquis Energy’s PAC, although accepted contributions from several Marquis family members who hold top leadership positions at the company, according to FEC filings.
The rest of her list of donors is a “who’s who” of Illinois Democrats.
Stratton has touted many endorsements from members of the General Assembly in recent days and 12 have contributed to her campaign. The list also includes many Lake County Democrats, including State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, and county party chair Lauren Beth Gash.
Stratton also received support from owners of most of the city’s sports teams: Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts and her wife; White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, along with his son and Bulls President Michael Reinsdorf; and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz.
Other donors come from all sectors of state politics, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, former legislators, high-profile lobbyists and consultants, Pritzker’s top political advisor, business executives, and lawyers at Chicago’s top law firms.
Some donors also hold positions in state government, including Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett and the Department of Labor’s top attorney, Deborah Baker.
Stratton has also formed her own political action committee called “Level Up.” Fundraising numbers for the committee have not yet been released as political action committees follow a different reporting schedule than campaigns.
Krishnamoorthi continues strong fundraising
Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, has been one of the most prolific fundraisers in Congress, reporting millions of dollars in contributions every quarter. His first months running for Senate were no different.
Krishnamoorthi raised just shy of $3 million between his House campaign account and new Senate campaign account. Candidates running for a new federal office are generally allowed to transfer funds from their old campaign to their new campaign. In total, Krishnamoorthi has $21 million on hand.
“I’m just blessed to have a lot of individual donors throughout Illinois and elsewhere who believe in my mission,” Krishnamoorthi told Capitol News Illinois.
The March 17, 2026, primary is still eight months away, but Krishnamoorthi launched the election cycle’s first TV ad on Tuesday, which cost $500,000 for the first week, according to his campaign. It’s airing in TV markets around the state and on digital platforms.
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The 30-second segment serves as an introduction of Krishnamoorthi, who currently represents the 8th Congressional District in the northwest suburbs. It portrays him as a fighter against “bullies,” which is how he describes Trump.
“When I see underdogs hurt by a rigged system, I fight back … Bullies like Trump can call us names, but you can just call me Raja,” Krishnamoorthi says in the ad, playing off his “just call me Raja” slogan that has been a hallmark of his TV advertisements since he first ran for Congress in 2016.
Most of Krishnamoorthi’s fundraising came from individual donors and less than $200,000 was from political action committees. But unlike his opponents, he had very few donors who are involved in state politics. One of the most notable names contributing to his campaign was Vinai Thummalapally, a former ambassador to Belize.
Other candidates
Six Republicans have filed as candidates with the Federal Elections Commission but did not raise substantial amounts of money. They include Casey Chlebek, a former IT professional who is active in Polish-American civic groups; Douglas Bennett, who ran unsuccessfully in the 10th Congressional District in 2018; Air Force veteran John Goodman; Pamela Denise Long, an occupational therapist and former political commentator for Newsweek; former Illinois International Port District board member Cary Capparelli, and Westchester resident Panagioti Bartzis.
On the Democrat side, four other candidates have filed with the FEC: Kevin Ryan, a Marine veteran and diplomat; Christopher Swann, a program manager for Feeding America; Carmi resident Stan Leavell, and Awisi Bustos, CEO of the Illinois Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs.
Bustos is daughter-in-law of former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, who represented the 17th Congressional District for 10 years. Cheri Bustos is not supporting Awisi Bustos’ campaign amid an ongoing divorce case, the D.C. insider newsletter Punchbowl reported.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The post Who is contributing to Illinois’ U.S. Senate candidates? appeared first on Capitol News Illinois.
Trump’s ‘big bill’ takes center stage in Illinois’ U.S. Senate race
Capitol News Illinois
Article summary
The three Democrats running for Illinois’ open Senate seat voiced concerns about the new domestic policy plan at events around Illinois.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton discussed how SNAP cuts will affect Illinois at an event in Chicago.
Rep. Robin Kelly spoke with voters in Peoria about their concerns with federal spending cuts.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi met with central Illinois independent pharmacist owners to highlight how spending cuts could hurt health care in rural areas.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
PEORIA – With major future cuts to social service programs now written into law, Democrats seeking Illinois’ open U.S. Senate seat in 2026 are hitting the campaign trail seeking to position themselves among the law’s most vocal opponents.
“We want Illinoisians throughout our state to understand the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s cruelty and be prepared for what’s to come,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said during a panel discussion at the Greater Chicago Food Depository Thursday.
The federal policy bill, dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 will slash federal spending for health care and other human service programs over the next several years, in many cases leaving states to pick up the tab if they are to continue providing benefits. The bill is expected to cost Illinois more than $700 million for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, cut Medicaid spending in Illinois by $48 billion over the next 10 years, and potentially force some rural hospitals to close.
As Illinois’ 2026 candidates prepare to begin circulating nominating petitions next month, the three Democrats vying for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s Senate seat met with residents around the state to hear about the local impacts of the bill and rally support for their campaigns.
Stratton held an official state event in Chicago to discuss the Pritzker administration’s response to SNAP changes, while U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi visited downstate communities to discuss the bill.
Kelly gets feedback in Peoria
Kelly, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District across parts of Chicago, the south suburbs and rural eastern Illinois, visited with voters in Peoria to hear their concerns about the bill.
The Bradly University graduate said her goal is to make sure Americans are aware of the bill’s effects – even though many of them are slated to begin after the 2026 midterm election.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly speaks to voters at an event at the Peoria Public Library on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Ben Szalinski)
“In polling and different things that we’ve done, half of the population doesn’t even realize what’s going on,” Kelly said.
Kelly played up her relationship with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, saying she has been part of a coalition of House Democrats that have been traveling the country holding town hall meetings about federal spending cuts.
“Every group that we can speak in front of, we need to speak in front of,” Kelly said. “And so that’s one of the reason’s we’re traveling.”
Krishnamoorthi visits rural pharmacy
Krishnamoorthi, who represents the 8th Congressional District in the northwest suburbs, visited a pharmacy in Petersburg about 30 minutes northwest of Springfield.
He echoed concerns other Illinois Democrats have expressed about the “large, lousy law” cutting Medicaid and that it could limit health care services in rural communities.
Read more: Illinois hospitals fear massive cuts under Trump domestic policy law
“When you have that many people who all of a sudden don’t have a way of paying for their health care, then it hurts all those rural health care providers that depend on Medicaid as a form of payment for so many of their patients,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Krishnamoorthi also worried about domino effects from growing deficits as a result of the bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will increase by more than $3 trillion. According to the nonpartisan health research organization KFF, the growing deficit could trigger automatic spending cuts, which could force Medicare cuts even though it was not reduced in the bill.
“We’re also talking about seniors who could be affected by Medicare cuts,” Krishnamoorthi said. “And so at the end of the day, however, everybody’s going to be affected because if, God forbid, one of these hospitals in these areas in the rural parts of Illinois are closed, then everyone, regardless of how their health care is paid for, would be affected negatively.”
SNAP cuts worry candidates
Stratton did not hit the campaign trail with any public events this week, but the Pritzker administration must now decide how it will proceed with new spending requirements signed by the president and the effects of fewer residents receiving social service benefits.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks at a panel discussion on SNAP benefits at the Greater Chicago Food Depository in Chicago on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Screenshot from Illinois.gov live feed)
Stratton and other top Pritzker administration officials discussed the impact of cuts to the SNAP program during a panel discussion at the Greater Chicago Food Depository as the state seeks more immediate solutions that lawmakers could approve before the 2026 election. The lieutenant governor, who resides on Chicago’s South Side, said reducing eligibility for a food program exacerbates other issues such as crime, economic productivity and learning in schools.
“Hunger is not a problem that stays isolated,” Stratton said. “The repercussions seep out, harming everyone and everything in its path until something changes.”
Kelly told voters in Peoria that SNAP cuts aren’t just a problem for low-income recipients.
“If you cannot buy food, then you’re not shopping at Kroger or wherever you shop,” Kelly said. “And so then Kroger is not buying as much food from the farmers and then they won’t need as many people to work there.”
The Republican field in the Senate race has yet to take shape. Republican Rep. Darin LaHood from the Peoria area held a virtual townhall with 16th Congressional District voters to discuss why he believes the bill will benefit Illinois.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The post Trump’s ‘big bill’ takes center stage in Illinois’ U.S. Senate race appeared first on Capitol News Illinois.
‘We think about the state in the same way’: Mitchell ready to back up Pritzker
Capitol News Illinois
Article Summary
JB Pritzker’s new running mate Christian Mitchell has held several roles in state government, including lawmaker and deputy governor.
Pritzker said he trusts Mitchell is ready to take over as governor if required and Mitchell said he shares Pritzker’s vision for Illinois.
Mitchell spearheaded some of Pritzker’s top legislative accomplishments during his first term.
Affordability will be a top issue for Pritzker’s campaign, Mitchell said.
Mitchell said he’s willing to consider ethics reform after holding a top leadership position in the Democratic Party of Illinois under former Chair Mike Madigan.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
At 38 years old, Christian Mitchell has been inside most corners of state government as a top advisor on political campaigns, state legislator, deputy governor and civic engagement leader at a major university.
All those experiences make him ready to be Gov. JB Pritzker’s running mate next year in the governor’s campaign for a third term, Mitchell said.
“Bringing somebody who will continue to do the work, who with the governor, will go everywhere in the state of Illinois, advocating for the state of Illinois — that’s the thing I think I bring to the ticket. And I think we think about the state the same way,” Mitchell said in an interview with Capitol News Illinois.
Mitchell, a Black Bronzeville resident who currently works as vice president of civic engagement for the University of Chicago, was raised by his single mom and his grandfather and attended the now-shuttered St. Joseph High School in Westchester. He got an undergraduate degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and while serving in the General Assembly, earned his law degree at Loyola University.
Mitchell represented a South Side of Chicago district in the Illinois House from 2013 until 2019 when Pritzker selected him to be one of four deputy governors, which serve a chief of staff-like role in Pritzker’s administration overseeing specific state agencies and policy areas.
Related: Pritzker selects former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as running mate
He also joined the Illinois Air National Guard in 2023 shortly after leaving the governor’s office.
“It’s certainly not great for my free time, but your time is the most precious thing you have and the ability to give my time in service of my state and my country is very important to me,” Mitchell said.
Why Pritzker picked Mitchell
Pritzker told reporters in the days after he launched his campaign he was looking for a running mate who shared the same affinity for Illinois and was qualified to step in as governor if required. He said he picked Mitchell more than a week before announcing his reelection in late June, but he declined to say how many people he considered.
“He is somebody that I have grown to trust,” Pritzker said at an event in Peoria. “I’ve seen him usher enormous legislation through the legislature. … He’s a guy who knows how to get big things done and I’ve worked with him to get it done and I’m excited for the people of Illinois to get to know him.”
Lieutenant governors in Illinois have virtually no constitutional authority, other than to replace a governor who is impeached, resigns or dies in office. Pritzker’s running mate selection has received more attention as the governor is believed to be considering running for president in 2028 and would resign as governor if victorious.
Mitchell said he’s running to be Pritzker’s right-hand man for four years, but said Pritzker would make a good candidate for president.
“Illinois is the state most representative of the nation and it’s really exciting to see a governor who is considered for president and not for prison,” Mitchell said, referring to the fact that two of Illinois’ last five governors and four of the last 11 have served time in prison.
“I think he would be excellent. Having said that, that’s why I’m so excited he’s running for reelection to continue the progress of the last seven years,” Mitchell added.
Christian Mitchell, Gov. JB Pritzker’s running mate, listens during a conversation at Peach’s Restaurant in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on July 2. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Though Mitchell hails from Chicago, Pritzker said he believes Mitchell can appropriately address the needs of all areas of the state.
“When you’re a state representative, you don’t just represent the people of your district; you are also voting on things that are good for people all across the state,” Pritzker told reporters last week after greeting Chicagoans at a Bronzeville coffee shop with Mitchell.
Policy goals
As deputy governor, Mitchell led some of Pritzker’s hallmark initiatives through the General Assembly during his first term: a $45 billion infrastructure plan, legalization of cannabis for recreational use by adults, and a climate initiative setting clean energy goals for the state.
Mitchell has a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, even among fellow Democrats. Though he has sometimes angered political allies, Mitchell said he’s open to listening to anyone’s ideas.
“For me, it’s build the biggest tent that you possibly can, ask people for their ideas and be willing to listen to them and change your mind when something is different than you thought it was,” Mitchell said. “That’s how Gov. Pritzker has always led, that’s how he has always directed me when I was deputy governor, that’s what we’ll do as partners in state government going forward.”
Christian Mitchell, candidate for lieutenant governor, speaks to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush at Peach’s restaurant in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on July 2. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Economic affordability is a top concern for Pritzker, who has preached in national media interviews that Democrats must champion policies addressing cost-of-living concerns for Americans. Mitchell said he shares those goals.
“People want to know that you understand what’s going on in their lives, that you’re working on your behalf every single day and when you do things that they can see on their paycheck, in their pocketbook, that is how you inspire confidence and that is something I think we can do as statewide elected officials,” Mitchell said.
He acknowledged price concerns are a macroeconomic issue outside the state’s total control, but Mitchell said state lawmakers can promote policies that lower costs within the state’s control. Reducing the education system’s reliance on property taxes could be a priority in a third Pritzker administration.
“The governor has put … hundreds of millions of new dollars into education every single year to help drive down that burden,” Mitchell said. “We do now need to work with our local governments to make sure those savings are being passed along. That’s another way in which you touch people’s pocketbooks directly.”
Mitchell said he sees some of the same themes surrounding affordability concerns for voters playing out in the 2026 election that helped Democrats win big victories in Illinois in 2018 when he was executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Democrats swept races for statewide offices that year and gained supermajorities in the legislature that have remained strong since then.
Madigan ties and ethics reform
Mike Madigan was chair of the state party while Mitchell worked as executive director. Madigan, the longtime speaker of the Illinois House until early 2021, was sentenced last month to 7 ½ years in federal prison for bribery and corruption.
Read more: Ex-Speaker Madigan sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for bribery, corruption | Madigan: The rise and fall
Prosecutors accused Madigan of using his positions as House speaker, party chair and as partner in his real estate law firm as a “criminal enterprise” meant to maintain and increase his power while enriching his allies. He was not convicted of the overarching racketeering charge regarding the alleged “enterprise,” but was convicted on lesser bribery counts.
Mitchell took over the administrative reins of the party from Tim Mapes, Madigan’s trusted chief of staff who was accused in early 2018 of sexual harassment and bullying, who is now in prison for perjury.
A woman shakes Christian Mitchell’s hand at a campaign event hosted by Peach’s Restaurant in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on July 2. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Like many other Democrats, Mitchell said Illinois has moved beyond Madigan’s era and brand of politics.
“I think it’s important to take the message that not just voters but now a jury has sent, which is let’s make Illinois the most ethical state in the nation,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell argued that work started with the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act – the 2021 clean energy policy he led for the governor’s office. In addition to setting decarbonization goals, it also ended the formula rate system that was at the center of bribery allegations against Madigan and the electric utility Commonwealth Edison.
State lawmakers passed other ethics legislation in 2021 months after Madigan left Springfield and nearly a year before he would ever be charged with a crime. But the legislature has largely not dealt with the issue since then, even after Madigan was convicted early this year.
Mitchell said he and Pritzker would be open to any ethics proposals in the future.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The post ‘We think about the state in the same way’: Mitchell ready to back up Pritzker appeared first on Capitol News Illinois.
Pritzker selects former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as running mate
Capitol News Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell will be his running mate for the 2026 campaign.
Pritzker’s selection, made just days after announcing a third campaign for governor, comes from a close circle of trust in Pritzker’s administration. Mitchell previously served in the governor’s office as one of four deputy governors overseeing key projects in Pritzker’s first term.
“Christian Mitchell is a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Whether it’s transforming our clean energy future, rebuilding our infrastructure, or keeping our communities safe, Christian has been a force behind so much of our progress. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to continue delivering results for the people of Illinois.”
Mitchell, 38, will replace Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on the ticket as she seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Mitchell comes in with hefty experience in state government and public policy. A resident of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Mitchell served three terms in the Illinois House beginning in 2013 and was executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois in 2018 before joining the governor’s office in 2019.
Lieutenant governor role
Mitchell left Pritzker’s administration in early 2023 to become vice president for civic engagement at the University of Chicago where he oversees government relations. Mitchell was appointed by Pritzker last year to an unpaid seat on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board, which oversees Navy Pier and McCormick Place. He is also a first lieutenant in the Illinois Air National Guard.
“The governor has led with courage and compassion, and together we’ve built a foundation that’s moving Illinois forward,” Mitchell said in a statement. “I’m ready to build on that progress — lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and making sure every community has the resources and opportunities they deserve. This is about delivering real results for the people of Illinois, and I’m excited to get to work.”
Read more: ‘I have work to do,’ Pritzker says in launching third-term reelection bid
Though the lieutenant governor has few constitutional responsibilities in Illinois, Pritzker has leveraged the position to task Stratton with leading key legislative initiatives and overseeing the implementation of some of his administration’s top priorities at state agencies.
If Pritzker is elected to another term, the role will hold greater importance as Pritzker considers running for president in 2028. Pritzker’s election to the presidency would require Mitchell to serve the final two years of his term.
Read more: National speculation ‘helps get more for the people of Illinois,’ Pritzker says
While keeping Mitchell’s selection under wraps, Pritzker told reporters in recent days he was looking for a running mate who was ready to immediately step into the governorship if required.
“The number one qualification is, ‘can you do the job of being governor because if you’re lieutenant governor, that may come to you,’” Pritzker said Monday.
“The second thing I think about is person who I might choose for lieutenant governor somebody who has a heart for all the people of Illinois, not just some or some specific segment of the population because we have a big, diverse state,” he said.
Deputy governor role
Deputy governors in Pritzker’s administration have a chief of staff-like role, overseeing specific policy areas and state agencies. Mitchell was in charge of environmental policy, infrastructure and public safety.
In 2020 and 2021, Mitchell oversaw the negotiations of Pritzker’s marquee climate policy — the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. It massively reformed the utility and energy industry and requires all fossil fuel power plants to close by 2045.
Mitchell was responsible for representing the governor in negotiations around the bill and was the face of the Pritzker administration as it went through the legislature.
That law, passed in the wake of a bribery scandal with Chicago’s electric utility that forced former House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign, cemented Pritzker’s reputation as a progressive on climate issues.
In the years since, energy experts and some lawmakers involved in passing the law have raised concerns that the state is at risk of missing the clean energy targets that Mitchell helped codify.
Mitchell also oversaw the implementation of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan – a $45 billion construction project to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure across the state.
Recreational cannabis regulation was also Mitchell’s responsibility. Pritzker signed legislation in his first year legalizing cannabis for recreational use and setting up a series of regulations for dispensaries and new social equity requirements.
Other experience
As a state lawmaker, Mitchell was chair of the House Economic Opportunity Committee.
Mitchell also brings heavy political experience to the ticket. Democrats swept races for statewide offices in 2018 and won supermajorities in the Statehouse with Mitchell serving in a top leadership role under former party Chair Mike Madigan. He took over for Tim Mapes, Madigan’s former chief of staff who was accused of sexual harassment and is now serving time in prison for a perjury conviction.
He has also worked as an advisor on several political campaigns in Illinois, including leading Midwest polling for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.
Andrew Adams contributed.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The post Pritzker selects former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as running mate appeared first on Capitol News Illinois.
National speculation helps ‘get more for the people of Illinois,’ Pritzker says
Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker began his third campaign for governor on Thursday, but much of the buzz around his 2026 campaign announcement focused on 2028.
Pritzker made four stops around the state to launch his campaign, fielding questions about any future interest in the presidency and what is driving him to run for what would be a historic third term. In his final stop in Springfield on Thursday evening, he was toasting personally branded “JBeers” – his own craft beer product he unveiled at least year’s Democratic National Convention – with a group of about 100 people at a small event venue just outside the Capitol and talking about his motivations.
“Every day I’m going to wake up going forward thinking about what I am going to do that’s going to help the people of Illinois,” Pritzker told reporters in Springfield when asked how many years of a third term he would serve. “So that’s the reason I’m running for reelection, it’s why I announced today, it’s what I’m going to do every day going forward no matter what decision I make.”
The 60-year-old Democrat’s national profile has grown significantly over the last year. He was a finalist to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate last July, and weeks later, introduced himself to the country on the stage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In the months since President Donald Trump took office, Pritzker has emerged as one of his most vocal critics.
At news conferences throughout the state, Pritzker did not directly commit to serving a full four-year term if he is reelected and sidestepped questions about his rumored White House ambitions.
Read more: Pritzker calls for mass mobilization as he grows his national profile
But while staying tight-lipped about what he thinks about his prospects in the 2028 presidential election, he said any decision he makes about his future would be Illinois-centric.
Speculation shows Pritzker ‘capable and competent’
In the meantime, Pritzker said he believed his inclusion in the national conversation is good for Illinois.
“When I ran for governor in the first place in 2017 and 2018, never, never could I have imagined that anybody would talk about me as the potential vice-presidential nominee or as a candidate for president of the United States,” Pritzker said.
While Republicans have frequently criticized the governor for his tendencies to criticize Trump rather than work with him to Illinois’ benefit, the governor spun his rising national profile as a positive.
Gov. JB Pritzker takes a picture with Mike Lopez, mayor of nearby Jerome, after announcing his reelection campaign in Springfield on Thursday, June 26. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jade Aubrey)
“Having the state of Illinois’ leaders viewed as capable and competent and potentially able to run the entire country and being talked about in that way, allows us, I think, to get more for the people of Illinois because there’s an understanding that, you know, maybe in Illinois we’re doing the right things,” he said. “Maybe in Illinois we have leaders that can competently execute on what states really need.”
Pritzker said his experience last summer being vetted for the vice presidency has not played any role in the decisions he has made about his political career.
Should Pritzker decide to run for president, an announcement would likely come at some point in 2027 during what would be the first year of his third term if he’s reelected.
Pritzker’s goal: ‘Protect’ Illinois and his legacy
Pritzker said at his announcement Thursday that his goal in 2026 is to preserve his legacy and “protect” the story of Illinois that’s been written under his leadership. Pritzker didn’t outline a bold vision for his third term but rather pledged to build off what he has already accomplished.
Read more: ‘I have work to do,’ Pritzker says in launching third-term reelection bid
He said his third term would focus on grappling with artificial intelligence, addressing the rising cost of living, continued spending on infrastructure and growing the state’s economy.
Pritzker reflected on his decision to seek reelection despite growing challenges facing the state.
“I don’t shy away from a fight, and we’re going to have to protect the people of Illinois,” Pritzker told reporters in Springfield. “And I feel like we’re in a moment when backing away from public service when things are hard doesn’t feel right. So that’s one of the reasons I chose to run for reelection.”
Gov. JB Pritzker speaks with reporters after his campaign announcement in Springfield on Thursday. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jade Aubrey)
Pritzker was asked whether he would have run had Trump not been elected last year.
“I think I would, but I have to say that in this moment, it feels like walking away is the wrong thing to do given who is in the White House and given how this administration is attacking people all across this country,” Pritzker said.
The governor must also choose a new running mate as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has decided to run for U.S. Senate. Pritzker said he will choose one by the end of July so his campaign can start circulating nominating petitions in early August. Pritzker said in Chicago that he is looking for someone with enough experience to take over as governor if required.
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, may be an early front-runner for the job. Pritzker specifically referred to Gordon-Booth as qualified at a stop in East Peoria on Thursday when asked about potential running mates, WGLT reported. The assistant House majority leader has been in the General Assembly since 2009.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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‘I have work to do,’ Pritzker says in launching third-term reelection bid
Capitol News Illinois
CHICAGO — In a hot gymnasium on Chicago’s South Side, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday morning he’s running for a potentially historic third term as governor.
In his announcement speech, Pritzker said he is running to “protect” the story he’s been telling about Illinois — one that has been built largely in opposition to the politics of President Donald Trump.
Pritzker said his third term would focus on grappling with artificial intelligence, addressing the rising cost of living, continued spending on infrastructure and growing the state’s economy.
The field house at Grand Crossing Park where Pritzker launched his first campaign hosted a crowd of Pritzker’s invited supporters, including Democratic party officials, campaign operatives and long-time Pritzker supporters.
Read more: Pritzker calls for mass mobilization as he grows his national profile
Pritzker’s message has often focused on what Democrats need to do to win and push back on Trump, including addressing economic issues for the middle class and being outspoken against Trump’s policies.
“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.
The governor said “we must reckon with the fact that everything is too damned expensive,” but taking a shot at Republicans, said enacting budget cuts to key government programs like Medicaid that make life more affordable for people shouldn’t be the solution.
Gov. JB Pritzker and his wife, MK Pritzker, wave to supporters at a June 26 rally to launch JB’s third gubernatorial campaign. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
The governor also said a third term would continue his past efforts to protect abortion rights, diversity programming in the private sector and teachers’ ability to teach “uncensored history.”
Pritzker’s progressive stances on hot-button national issues are part of what has grown his national profile since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The governor has been one of the president’s most vocal Democratic critics and his schedule has been loaded with national media interviews and campaign speeches around the country.
From reelection to presidential election?
A successful reelection could set the stage for a bigger one: Pritzker’s speculated 2028 presidential campaign.
Pritzker on Thursday downplayed the possibility when speaking to reporters but didn’t explicitly rule it out.
“Everything that I do, truly everything that I do, in my job and every day when I wake up is about improving the lot of the 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.”
He had a small taste of presidential campaigning last year when he was considered as a running mate for former Vice President Kamala Harris, then served as a surrogate.
“You don’t get on that list unless they think you actually could be president of the United States and do the job if you had to,” Pritzker told reporters last year.
As some Democrats have tried finding a centrist message, Pritzker has stayed in the left lane. He condemned politicians, without mentioning specific names, who abandon their core beliefs for political gain.
“Of all the unbecoming qualities that Americans hate in their politicians – they hate cowardice the most,” Pritzker said. “I’d rather lose standing up for what I believe in than win by selling out those who believed in me.”
Read more: Pritzker balances messaging as some Dems encourage party to avoid LGBTQ issues
As Pritzker rattled off a list of accomplishments in his more than six years as governor, his message remained the same as it has since he launched his first campaign in 2017 to unseat an unpopular Republican incumbent: fight.
“Let me be clear: There is no Mission Accomplished banner to stand under today,” Pritzker said alluding to a premature victory declaration former President George W. Bush made in a 2003 speech regarding military action in Iraq. “Yes, we have addressed so many of our old problems – but new ones always arise. History is an endless relay race. Our job is not to look for the finish line but to protect the baton as we run our assigned leg. But we have work to do. I have work to do.”
Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to supporters at a campaign launch rally in Chicago on June 26, telling them in his speech “I have work to do.” (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Pritzker argued his success has come through embracing his role as a cheerleader for the state, recalling the negative perceptions of Illinois, such as the prevalence of corruption and unbalanced budgets, that had consumed state politics.
“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,” Pritzker said. “I suited up to face the carnival barkers and misery spelunkers and doom grifters. I handed out optimism like a shot of Malört – as a swift jolt to the heart.”
First three-term Democrat?
The 60-year-old Democrat enters the race as the favorite, having received more than 54% of the vote in the 2018 and 2022 elections.
An heir to a fortune built on the Hyatt Hotel chain, Pritzker’s net worth sits at $3.7 billion as of Thursday, according to Forbes. His vast personal wealth makes him one of the richest politicians in American history and gives him a significant leg up on competitors. Pritzker dumped $350 million into his first two campaigns and has never taken outside contributions.
Separately, Pritzker has used an undisclosed amount of his personal fortune to fund a political action committee, Think Big America, to support abortion rights in other states.
Pritzker is also entering unchartered territory for Illinois governors. If he completes his current term, he would be the first Democrat to serve two full terms in modern state history. If he wins reelection, he would be the only governor to serve more than two terms since Republican Gov. Jim Thompson served four terms from 1977 until 1991.
Pritzker will need a new running mate first, however, as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running for U.S. Senate. Pritzker did not announce a running mate Thursday.
Pritzker’s governing record
The governor’s top priority for his second term was to eliminate child care deserts and make preschool more accessible. Since he was sworn in in January 2023, the state has implemented Pritzker’s Smart Start initiative to expand preschool offerings around the state and has begun to phase in a new Department of Early Childhood.
When asked about those goals after his speech Thursday, Pritzker said there were an “awful lot of things” that his administration still needed to accomplish.
“We still need to get to universal preschool. We’re on our way. It’ll happen probably in 2027,” Pritzker said.
But Pritzker pointed to several of his progressive policy wins Thursday, in his speech and when speaking to reporters.
He has signed legislation raising the minimum wage to $15, legalizing recreational cannabis, banning assault weapons and numerous new protections of abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned three years ago. Pritzker also passed landmark legislation to phase out fossil fuels in the electricity sector.
Pritzker repeatedly brought up cleaning up Illinois’ fiscal house. The state has recorded budget surpluses in recent years and has received nine credit upgrades since he took office.
But challenges are also growing. The budget has gotten tighter, and lawmakers have resorted to more than $1 billion in targeted tax increases over the last two years to balance the budget. The fiscal year 26 budget Pritzker signed this month increased discretionary spending by less than 1%.
Gov. JB Pritzker highlights his progressive wins and criticizes Republicans in a speech to supporters in Chicago on June 26. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
There’s also been headaches over legislative priorities. Labor unions are frustrated Pritzker didn’t embrace their proposal for pension reform this spring. And many parts of the governor’s legislative agenda hit roadblocks with concerned lawmakers. There’s also ongoing discussions about achieving Pritzker’s bold clean energy goals as prices rise and energy supply is strained.
The governor has taken pride in growing state agencies decimated by the two-year budget impasse that began a decade ago. But problems at those agencies have caused trouble for Pritzker.
An audit revealed the Department of Public Health failed to intervene to stop deaths from COVID-19 at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home in 2020, though Pritzker blamed and fired leaders at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Billions of pandemic relief dollars at the Department of Employment Security went to fraudsters, while the Department of Children and Family Services faced years of scrutiny over deaths and the its failure to properly house children in its care while Pritzker maintained support for the department’s director.
GOP criticizes ‘stepping stone’ approach
As problems have mounted at the Statehouse, Senate Republicans have encouraged Pritzker to “think Illinois.” As he announced his campaign Thursday, Illinois Republicans continue to believe his focus is elsewhere.
“These last nearly eight years under his governance merits firing not rehiring,” Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said in a statement. “While businesses and families flee, Pritzker sees Illinois as nothing more than a stepping stone for the White House.”
A field of Republican challengers is still taking shape. So far, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Posen Park District Commissioner Phil Perez and Lake Forest businessman Joe Severino have announced they will run in the Republican primary.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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