JB Pritzker: 2026 candidate for Illinois governor

Bio

Office sought: Governor

Party: Democratic

City: Chicago

Age: 61

Previous offices held: Governor (2019-present)

Q&A

What do you consider the key to an effective working relationship between the governor’s office and legislative leaders? If your party is not in the majority in the legislature, how will you work to make government operate effectively? If your party is in the majority, how will you work to ensure that all interests in the state are fairly represented?

The people of Illinois need a leader who is able to work with people of all backgrounds to get things done for them. As governor, I have a record of bipartisan accomplishments. Together with my partners in the legislature, we’ve gotten a whole lot done for Illinois families. We’ve put more money in people’s pockets by increasing the minimum wage, creating and doubling the child tax credit, canceling medical debt for more than 500,000 everyday Illinoisans, capping insulin prices, eliminating the state grocery tax, and taking on companies to stop them from jacking up rates of home and auto insurance. I’m proud to have been endorsed by former Republican House Leader Jim Durkin, and I will continue to work with leaders across the state to make Illinois the best place to live, work, get an education, and raise a family.

How important is it to keep the Bears in the state of Illinois? What specifically is your “red line” beyond which the state cannot go in order to keep them here?

Unlike the proposal by my opponent Darren Bailey, I do not want the taxpayers to pay for a $3 billion stadium for billionaire team owners. The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years, and I’m a proud Bears fan. I’ve always been clear that I want the Bears to stay in Illinois and that my priority is a sensible solution that protects Illinois taxpayers. I think we should be willing to provide basic infrastructure to support a new stadium. It is my responsibility as governor to make sure that any deal we make is a good deal for all Illinoisans. I’ve worked with our legislature, the Bears, and the NFL to find the best solution for the Bears, and I think Illinois taxpayers should have their voices heeded.

The Bears situation is not the only one in Illinois in which decisions are made at the last minute by leadership behind closed doors. Budgeting is a classic, consistent example, and it seems every difficult decision facing the state is decided by the majority party leadership in the waning hours of the session. The use of shell bills enables this practice. Is this an acceptable way for the legislature to operate and what, if anything, should the governor do to address it?

Since I became governor, my administration has delivered eight balanced budgets in a row, paid off more than $12 billion in short- and medium-term debt, increased the pension funded ratio, eliminated the overdue bill backlog I inherited from my Republican predecessor, and earned our state 12 credit upgrades. By restoring our fiscal foundation, we’ve been able to fund government services sustainably and save taxpayers money. I look forward to continuing to deliver on my record of responsible budgeting alongside my running mate, Christian Mitchell.

To what extent are you happy or unhappy with the evidence-based model for education funding now in place in Illinois? How would you define “adequate” state funding for Illinois schools and what will you do to promote that?

Illinois schools are better funded than they’ve ever been. We have more teachers than ever before, we have lowered our student-teacher ratios, and Illinois now ranks as the fifth best state in the nation for pre-K-12 education. Our students also have among the highest eighth grade NAEP math and reading scores in the country. But the work isn’t done: we’re not going to stop until we’re first in the nation. The reason I fight so hard for this issue is simple: high-quality education is the foundation of a strong state. As governor, I’ve looked at every opportunity possible to improve education, and a crucial part of that responsibility is fiscal stewardship: ensuring our funding programs are sustainable over the long term.