Illinois Governor JB Pritzker floated as potential VP running mate
CHICAGO (CBS) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is among the many names being floated as a potential running mate in the Democratic presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday announced her intention to run for the Democratic nomination for president following the news that President Joe Biden would not seek reelection.
Pritzker was at his Gold Coast home on Sunday, and it was unclear what talks he has had or who he has been communicating with since Mr. Biden suspended his reelection campaign earlier in the day.
Monday morning, Pritzker endorsed Harris to be the new Democratic nominee, saying he would work hard to get her elected and calling her the most qualified candidate, adding, "I also think it's past time we shatter that highest and hardest of glass ceilings and finally elect a woman as President of the United States."
"Vice President Harris has proven, at every point in her career, that she possesses the skills, strength, and character to lead this country and the vision to better the lives of all Americans From protecting women's rights to defending American workers and strengthening the middle class, Vice President Harris is a champion of the American values we hold dear. She represents our Party's best chance to defeat Donald Trump in November, and I will work my heart out to help her do that," Pritzker said in a statement.
Alongside Harris, Pritzker is one of a number of people who could potentially join the Democratic ticket, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock.
In recent weeks, Pritzker has remained supportive of Mr. Biden following his shaky debate back in June. But while publicly supporting the president, the governor was caught on a hot microphone saying "this doesn't look good" when mentioning Mr. Biden's staying power.
"I think we'll look back on this moment in history as sort of an incredible turning point for our politics," said Alvin Bernard Tillery, a Democratic pollster and professor of political science at Northwestern University.
If Harris becomes the nominee, she has weeks to pick her running mate. Tillery argued that her options lack name recognition.
"We have none of that," he said. "I mean, Harris has universal name recognition among young voters. All of the others, they don't have the star power."
However, Tillery said Prtizker would benefit Harris.
"She's got the name recognition, the money. She can beat back the Republican legal challenges. None of those other candidates can do, with the exception of Gov. Pritzker, who's wealthy enough to self-fund because, unlike Donald Trump, he is a real billionaire. And so, anyone else is just not going to be able to land the plane. If Vice President Harris wants to win, a strong look at Governor Pritzker makes a ton of sense."
Besides the money, the governor has been someone people within the party have kept their eyes on. He spoke out about biases of anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion bills, pushing back on book bans over Black history and LGBTQ+ rights, and he has been a vocal supporter of abortion rights.
"He's been really strong on those issues, and so, whether or not he's on the ticket, I think Vice President Harris should really take a study of how he's governed for how to energize her campaign," said Bernard Tillery.
Pritzker on Sunday released a statement expressing gratitude to Mr. Biden for his decades of political service, writing, "His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime."
His statement also said that "we must not ignore the threat posed by Donald Trump's potential return to the White House" and that Priztker would "work every day to ensure that he does not win in November."