Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker cancels appearance with Utah Democrats

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has cancelled his scheduled appearance and keynote address at the Utah Democrats’ organizing convention less than 24 hours before the start of Saturday’s event in Ogden, party leadership has confirmed.

Current party chair, Dianne Lewis told ABC4.com that Pritzker was forced to stay in Chicago due to the state’s general assembly (state legislature) being in session and budget negotiations that required him to stay. Their session was supposed to end Friday night at midnight.

Lewis had also hoped Pritzker would send a video message, but said that, too, won’t happen.

Instead, Lewis said they’ll simply take about a 45-minute lunch break, and she is hoping ballots go out for the race to elect a new party chair around 1 pm.

The party had hoped Pritzker could bring a galvanizing message that comes on the heels of a fiery speech he recently gave to donors and party faithful at New Hampshire’s Democratic Party’s annual McIntyre-Shaheen dinner, calling for “everyone everywhere” to fight Trump’s message. He is also rumored to be considering a reelection run and hasn’t ruled out a 2028 presidential run.

In addition to electing new party leaders, the party will also consider two resolutions condemning stripping benefits or laying off VA employees by the state or federal governments, and “strongly condemning” the President from being able to serve more than two terms.