Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker attends a Democratic Nationwide Conference safety briefing on the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Subject Workplace in July.
Erin Hooley/AP
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Erin Hooley/AP
The NPR Community will probably be reporting dwell from Chicago all through the week bringing you the newest on the Democratic Nationwide Conference.
In his second time period as governor, Democrat JB Pritzker is a rising determine within the get together who will get his probability to talk on the conference tonight and spotlight his state all week.
Pritzker led the hassle to persuade the get together to carry its conference in Chicago and may have the state’s popularity — and his personal — using on the way it comes off, whether or not it’s overshadowed by protests and if it helps give Vice President Kamala Harris a lift.
“It’s Pritzker’s conference,” says Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science on the College of Illinois Springfield. “He clearly seen this as, you understand, this is a chance for me to go nationwide, to get recognition, to indicate that I can ship.”
Pritzker was amongst governors who Vice President Kamala Harris thought-about for her operating mate.
Listed below are some issues to learn about him:
Pritzker, 59, is an inheritor to the Hyatt motels fortune with private wealth totaling about $3.5 billion, in response to Forbes. Considered one of his uncles purchased a motel in 1957 close to the Los Angeles airport that may turn out to be the primary of the Hyatt chain and capitalize on the expansion of U.S. air journey.
Extra from Chicago Public Media’s dwell protection of the DNC
After shedding his first try at public workplace in a main run for Congress in 1997, Pritzker used a few of his cash to pay for his personal marketing campaign for governor, successful his first time period in 2018. He’s funded campaigns for different Democrats. And he began a political motion committee backing abortion rights, Assume Large America, which bought anti-Trump billboards round Milwaukee throughout this yr’s Republican Nationwide Conference.
Throughout Pritzker’s time in workplace and with a Legislature below Democratic management, Illinois has handed legal guidelines to make abortion extra accessible. Pritzker says the federal authorities may do the identical if Democrats win a majority in Congress – highlighting abortion’s central place within the presidential race.
He’s additionally backed a statewide youngster tax credit score, healthcare protection for undocumented immigrants and a significant growth of public preschool packages.
Pritzker is credited with serving to flip round a state monetary disaster, boosting Illinois’ credit standing and paying off billions in state money owed. He’s taken steps to strengthen the general public workers pension funds however they continue to be among the many worst-funded within the nation. He’s introduced in more cash for the state by legalizing leisure marijuana use and sports activities betting.
However Republicans blame him for ongoing Illinois troubles, together with gun violence in Chicago, a declining state inhabitants and excessive property taxes.
Pritzker’s re-election in 2022 elevated the nationwide consideration on him and the criticisms he was making of Republican nominee Donald Trump. In his victory speech he referred to Trump and mentioned, “To the faux patriots and their enablers, you don’t love america should you’re not prepared to defend it towards a person who would destroy it.”
A fundraiser for President Joe Biden, Pritzker helped persuade the get together to carry the conference in Chicago and shortly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden bowed out of the race. Lately, Pritzker has sharpened his assaults on Trump, calling him a “congenital liar” and a “flatulent previous man.”
Illinois doesn’t have time period limits for governors and Pritzker hasn’t mentioned if he plans to run for a 3rd time period in 2026.
Alex Degman covers politics for WBEZ.