Prairie State Wire

Gov. J.B. Pritzker addressed Florida Democrats, fueling speculation for a Presidential run. However, not everyone is on board. Mike Koolidge, spokesman for the People Who Play By the Rules PAC (PBR) said the PAC is working to stop Pritzker.

"While J.B. Pritzker is posturing for the presidency with his party friends out of state, his constituents back home are hurting economically because of his tax increases with hundreds every week also recovering from their literal injuries, the direct result of the violence and general lawlessness, particularly in Chicagoland, unleashed by Pritzker-Lightfoot-Foxx," Koolidge said in a statement. "Billionaire businessman Richard Uihlein made an additional investment of $15 million into PBR PAC to ensure Illinois voters know the truth about what J.B. has done to their businesses, their streets and their schools. We're not going to let him buy his way out of his record."

This past weekend, Florida Democrats gathered in Tampa for their annual fundraiser and convention. Publicly, they heavily criticized Gov. DeSantis, but privately, they were nervous, Gary Fineout wrote in Florida Playbook. At one point, State Rep. Fentrice Driskell said, “Nobody is coming to save us.” Pritzker addressed the conference by giving a 30-minute speech where he criticized DeSantis and reaffirmed loyal Democrats. He talked about the recent shooting in Highland Park and his efforts to create a Holocaust museum. Multiple people in attendance called him a “future President.” Christian Ulvert, a South Florida Democrat Consultant, praised Pritzker’s speech noting that it “was one of the best Democratic speeches" he has seen in a while. 

“Ron DeSantis is really just Donald Trump with a mask on,” Pritzker criticized DeSantis across the board from COVID to his battle with Disney. “They want to distract you into believing that gay marriage, Black history, Disney World, and library books are more of a threat to our children than an AR-15. And if we can’t call bullshit on that, well then Democrats, we don’t deserve to win elections.” 

In response, Republicans hit back at Pritzker by noting how many people from Illinois have moved to Florida. 

“If I had a dollar for every Democrat that’s escaped their poorly-run state to come to the free state of Florida, I’d have enough to buy J.B. Pritzker’s mansion in West Palm Beach,” RNC spokeswoman Julia Friedland said.

The Illinois GOP is conducting a poll on whether or not Pritzker should run for President in 2024. In an email, the party called him a “billionaire bully, candidate for appointment to Barack Obama’s old Senate seat, and self-proclaimed 'Governor of Chicago' to name a few items.” They also raised concerns about him being able to execute his duties as governor if he ran. They are warning the rest of the country about Pritzker: “He will bring his legacy of corruption, failure, and incompetence to the rest of our country.” As President Joe Biden continues to age, Democrats may be looking for someone to succeed him in 2024. Pritzker meets much of the criteria: he has a far-left record on energy, climate change, abortion, minimum wage, and immigration.

As the 2024 presidential election looms, there is much talk of who will lead the Democratic ticket. With Biden’s age and Vice-President Kamala Harris’s dismal poll numbers, Democrats may need someone else. Many people speculate Pritzker is going to run for President, and he is a viable primary candidate because he has billions of dollars and far-left policy prescriptions. Also, Democrats have no bench, giving people like Pritzker an opportunity to step up. He also can appeal to different factions of the Democrat base. He does have some baggage including a subpar economy in Illinois, a federal tax investigation, and less than stellar poll numbers in his home state, but overall Democrats feel that he can overcome these obstacles, fueling speculation that he is going to make a run, according to Madison-St. Clair Record.