Officials react to Pritzker running for third term as Illinois Governor

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — On Thursday morning, Governor JB Pritzker officially announced that he will be running for a third term. In response, organizations and politicians around the state — and the country — are reacting to the news.

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA), a political organization which supports Democratic governors and candidates across the nation, applauded Pritzker’s announcement, and said they will support him running for reelection as governor of Illinois.

“Gov. JB Pritzker is an effective leader who has delivered strong results for Illinois throughout his time as governor,” DGA Chair Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. “He turned a fiscal disaster into a balanced budget — overseeing a remarkable nine credit rating upgrades — championed economic development and attracted thousands of new good-paying jobs, expanded access to affordable health care, and made historic investments in education and infrastructure.”

Kelly also highlighted Pritzker’s work in defending reproductive freedom and democracy.

“Illinoisans can trust him to keep standing up for their rights as he keeps the state moving forward,” Kelly continued. “The DGA looks forward to supporting Gov. Pritzker as he continues to deliver the steady leadership that Illinoisians deserve.”

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton shared a statement of support for Pritzker on X, formally known as Twitter.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — JB Pritzker is the best Governor in the country. Today, I’m feeling proud of what we’ve delivered for Illinois, proud of our partnership, and most of all, proud to be his constituent. There is no better leader for the job,” Stratton said.

Stratton will not be joining Pritzker as he seeks a third term. In April, she announced her intention to run for Senate; Pritzker has already endorsed Stratton.

Republican lawmakers in Illinois, on the other hand, expressed concern with Pritzker’s intention to run for a third term.

ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi shared a statement following Pritzker’s announcement.

“JB Pritzker’s first two terms have been nothing short of a total failure. He’s prioritized illegal immigrants over Illinois families, hiked taxes, and rammed through the largest, most bloated budget in state history,” Salvi said. “He has used and abused the fine people of Illinois, allowing heavy handed government to meddle in the lives and safety of ordinary Illinoisans. These last nearly eight years under his governance merits firing not rehiring. While businesses and families flee, Pritzker sees Illinois as nothing more than a stepping stone for the White House.”

Similarly, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said that Pritzker’s third term would follow his last eight years as governor.

“We know what to expect – agency mismanagement, regressive taxation, and record spending. Illinois families need a governor for all people who understands true bipartisanship and growing our economy,” McCombie said in a statement.

State Representative Regan Deering also issued a statement following Pritzker’s announcement. Deering said Illinois does not want another four years of Pritzker’s leadership — and added that many people are leaving the state.

“Under Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois families have endured crushing taxes, skyrocketing prices, surging crime, and the collapse of core public services. Record spending has led to record waste. That’s not compassion, it’s failure,” Deering said. “We should be lifting people out of poverty, not locking them into it. We should be creating jobs and driving growth, not exploding Medicaid rolls and taxing working families to pay for it. We should be empowering people, not growing bureaucracy.”

Pritzker announced his intention to run for a third term in a video online. He said during his time as Governor, he’s balanced seven straight budgets, raised the minimum wage and capped the cost of insulin, among other accomplishments.

“We don’t just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them,” Pritzker said.

If he wins, he will make history as the first Democratic Governor in Illinois to serve more than two terms. The primary will take place in March and a general election will be held in November.