J. B. Pritzker by Gage Skidmore / Flickr
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign to present himself as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 is costing him his popularity in his home state, a former Illinois state representative wrote in a recent commentary article for RealClearPolitics.
According to Mark Batinick, who served as a state representative from 2015 to 2023, Pritzker has begun employing tactics, such as supporting radically progressive policies, to avail himself to far-left Democrats. He has also begun focusing on national politics, rather than turning his attention to state-level issues. Batinick argued that those actions are only driving away Illinois residents, who have already experienced Pritzker’s leadership first-hand.
Batinick pointed to taxes as an example of the state of Pritzker’s priorities, noting that though the governor has criticized the tariffs under the Trump administration as a “tax on working families,” Illinois has some of the highest taxes on gas and property. Batinick also noted that Pritzker allowed the state’s school choice program to expire, even though it had helped roughly 10,000 attend better, safer schools.
“Supporting school choice might be controversial with national union leaders, but it’s popular with Illinois parents — across the political spectrum,” Batinick wrote.
Batinick highlighted an April speech Pritzker gave in New Hampshire, during which he encouraged mass protests and extreme political activism, as well as the governor’s support of biological males competing in girls and women’s sports. Batinick also condemned Pritzker for his criticism of Texas’ attempt to redraw its political map, noting that the governor approved “one of the most egregiously gerrymandered maps in the country” for Illinois.
“The message is clear: JB Pritzker is trying to impress national Democratic activists while ignoring the real concerns of Illinois voters. But the polling suggests the voters are paying attention — and they’re not impressed,” Batinick wrote. “If the governor wants to be president someday, he may want to start by governing his own state a little better.”
