Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) wants to run for president in 2028.
Pretty much everyone knows it, and for anyone who doesn't, just take a look at the cheap, sometimes callous stunts he's tried to pull while challenging President Donald Trump at every turn ever since the POTUS was sworn in for his second term, which included providing "safe harbor" for the Texas Democrat lawmakers who fled their state amid a heated redistricting battle in the summer of 2025.
Pritzker tried to present himself as a hero, a beacon of "democracy" in advising those Democrats and railing against a Trump-backed mid-decade redrawing of lines in the Lone Star State. But he left out the part about how his state was one of the most wildly gerrymandered in the country by design, something even left-wing talk show host Stephen Colbert had to call out at the time:
Even Stephen Colbert couldn’t ignore it — he called out JB Pritzker for Illinois’ completely insane gerrymandered maps. When late-night comedians are pointing out how rigged the system is, you know it’s bad. Illinoisans deserve fair representation, not maps drawn to keep… pic.twitter.com/xBIqNi5Tfp
— Illinois Review (@IllinoisReview) August 6, 2025
More recently, Pritzker was seen in a video doing something called "Governor-maxxing," which - yes - is about as cringe as it sounds.
But on Tuesday, the governor, who also happens to be running for reelection, announced the launch of a new PAC he says is aimed at helping House Democrats in districts he feels have been "overlooked" ahead of the 2026 midterms:
The group, Ready for the Fight PAC, will soon run ads targeting Brandon Herrera, a hard-line Republican and YouTuber running in a red-leaning Texas border district, according to a news release. It will also target Representative Max Miller, a Republican from Ohio whose ex-wife accused him of domestic violence and child abuse. It will add other races to its list at a later date, a spokeswoman said.
“With everything we care about on the line, Democrats cannot retreat to a handful of battleground races,” a spokeswoman for the group, Jordan Abudayyeh, wrote in the news release on Tuesday. Mr. Pritzker is using millions of dollars from his personal fortune to fund the group, and also plans to raise money from other donors, Ms. Abudayyeh said.
Except even the Democrat apologists in the mainstream media couldn't help but notice how this conveniently would also elevate his profile nationally even more just a few months out from when candidates typically start formally declaring their intentions to run for president:
Pritzker, who just wrapped up a statewide bus tour for his gubernatorial campaign — complete with images of him speaking alongside a U.S. flag rather than an Illinois flag — is expected to win a third term in November in deep-blue Illinois. He is also widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender. Creating a PAC that invests in candidates beyond his home state can help build relationships, generate goodwill and accumulate political capital that could prove valuable in a future White House bid.
Additionally, it was also noted that other Democrat governors who have been considering presidential runs had started similar PACs:
Others who have created PACs to help candidates in other states include California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Campaign for Democracy PAC, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and his In This Together PAC and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her Fight Like Hell PAC.
Democrats are nothing if not a predictable lot. But in Pritzker's case, the stunt is especially noteworthy considering everything he's said about "billionaires in politics," a point made by his GOP opponent, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, in July:
JB Pritzker says billionaire money is ruining politics.
— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) July 18, 2026
Then he spent $10 million through a super PAC trying to buy a U.S. Senate seat for Juliana Stratton.
Pritzker doesn't want to end billionaire influence.
He wants to be the billionaire calling the shots. pic.twitter.com/JGzxt7I1Lm
Bingo.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.