Gov. JB Pritzker dodged questions about a potential future run for the White House in his third stop on a four-city tour to announce his bid for re-election, but he left a possible hint at who could be joining his ticket.
After speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Workforce Sustainability Center at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, the two-term Democratic governor told a group of reporters who may be under consideration for his next choice for a running mate.
“There are some qualified people across the state. There’s one right behind me,” Pritzker said, a nod to state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat who serves as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House and who introduced the governor at the rally.
Pritzker will need a new running mate for a third run at governor as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running in the March 2026 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat that Dick Durbin is vacating.
Pritzker elaborated on his interest in having someone like Gordon-Booth as a lieutenant governor.
“When you win, you gotta represent everybody and I know Jehan Gordon-Booth has done that in her job as state representative,” Pritzker said. "Who would not want Jehan Gordon-Booth as a leader in this state?"
When Gordon-Booth, who has served in the Illinois House since 2009, was asked if she would consider accepting a spot on the Pritzker ticket as lieutenant governor, she replied “it would be an honor.”
Pritzker added the campaign would choose someone he's confident could serve as governor.
That person could potentially be next in line for the governor's mansion.
Amid much speculation that Pritzker was eyeing a potential run for president in 2028, he left no hints about his plans beyond 2026.
“I think that’s good for the state of Illinois when people think that our leaders are qualified to be President of the United States, but I’m running for reelection because I want to serve the people of Illinois,” Pritzker told reporters. “Whatever I do in the future is going to be about making sure we deliver for the people of Illinois.”
Much of Pritzker’s speech to the gathering of supporters hit on the same themes of his initial campaign kickoff rally in Chicago earlier Thursday. He outlined a series of infrastructure investments from the Rebuild Illinois program, including repairs to the Murray Baker Bridge and the Bob Michel Bridge, the addition to highway lanes, bikes lanes and pedestrian walkways and upgrades to Peoria Mass Transit.
The governor also credited the Illinois Grocery Initiative with bringing the first full-service grocery store to the city’s south side since 2018.
