Gov. J.B. Pritzker is not ruling out a possible 2028 presidential run.
Mr. Pritzker and other Democrats considering White House bids have started to be less coy about their future political plans as they test drive their messages on the national stage.
Asked Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether he has ruled out a presidential bid, Mr. Pritzker said, “I can’t rule anything out.”
Mr. Pritzker emphasized that he is focused on running for a third term as governor and that his decision-making will be guided by what is best for his constituents.
Nine months removed from the 2024 presidential elections, Democrats are still trying to find their footing and mulling over who could emerge as the party’s next leader heading into the 2028 elections.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently said he is considering a bid, and added fuel to the fire during a recent swing through South Carolina, which traditionally hosts the first-in-the-South primary contest.
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“We’ll see,” Mr. Beshear said during a recent appearance on “Meet the Press” when asked about a possible presidential run. “I would have never considered this a couple of years ago, but I will not leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else’s.”
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania have sparked speculation about 2028.
The political world is also keeping close tabs on former Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently announced she would not run for governor in California.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pritzker has also been raising his profile.
He headlined a Democratic Party fundraiser in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire and jumped at chances to criticize the Trump administration.
Mr. Pritzker, 60, has also begun to address concerns over whether voters can support someone with such immense wealth. Mr. Pritzker, whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain, is worth an estimated $3.7 billion.
“I’m a Democrat because I believe that everyone deserves health care,” Mr. Pritzker said Sunday. “I’m a Democrat because I believe we’ve got to fund education and have a free public education available to every kid in this country.
“I’m a Democrat because I believe that we’ve got to stand up for our democracy and against the MAGA Republicans who are literally trying to take away people’s rights all across this country,” he said.
