Gov. JB Pritzker doesn’t 'rule out' presidential run in 2028
Gov. Pritzker does not rule out presidential run
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is refusing to rule out a run for president in 2028.
CHICAGO - Gov. JB Pritzker did not rule out a run for president when asked on Sunday about his plans for the 2028 election.
Pritzker appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning to discuss the ongoing standoff over a Trump-backed redistricting plan. Democratic lawmakers have fled to blue states like Illinois in an attempt to prevent Republicans from redrawing congressional maps to squeeze out more GOP wins in the 2026 midterm elections.
JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois, departs following a news conference in Aurora, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday ordered the arrest of Democratic lawmakers who left the state to block a controversial vote
What we know:
Toward the end of the interview, Pritzker referenced running for a third term in 2026, which he announced earlier this year. Host Kristen Welker asked if he "ruled out a run for president in 2028."
"I’m focused on running for reelection as governor of the State of Illinois and everything that I do really is focused on lifting up the people of my state," Pritzker said.
Welker followed up with, "But you don’t rule it out, governor? Yes or no?"
Pritzker responded, "I can’t rule anything out, but what I can rule in is that no matter what decisions I make, and I mean in particular about what I do here in the State of Illinois, is about the people of Illinois. Indeed, any future decisions of mine will always be guided by that."
The backstory:
Since at least late June, when he officially announced his reelection bid, Pritzker has avoided saying whether he’d serve a full four-year term if he won in 2026.
The timing could be awkward since the primary season for 2028 is expected to begin in earnest right after the 2026 midterms.
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The heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, who is worth about $3.7 billion according to Forbes, has also been making more of a name for himself on the national stage in recent months.
He's traveled to key primary states like New Hampshire to make speeches and appeared multiple times on late night television talk shows.
Pritzker, 60, was first elected in 2018, defeating one-term incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican. He then won a second term in 2022 over former downstate Republican State Sen. Darren Bailey.