JB Pritzker says he had to overcome his wealth during governor race, could be an 'obstacle' in 2028
WASHINGTON, DC: Billionaire Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said he posed a challenge during his 2018 campaign for governor.
He added that it could become an obstacle if he decides to run for president, according to a new report from The Atlantic.
JB Pritzker reveals why his wealth was a challenge
The Atlantic writer Mark Leibovich jokingly asked Governor Pritzker, “Overcoming being a billionaire?” Pritzker, according to the writer, seemed annoyed and said he had to overcome it “in a Democratic primary.”
He explained that running after Bernie Sanders, who had won about half the vote in the 2016 Democratic primary by saying “Billionaires are evil,” made things harder.
Sanders and other progressive leaders, like Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have continued criticizing billionaires, and in 2025 they toured the country on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
Despite this, Pritzker easily won the 2018 governor’s race against Republican Bruce Rauner and was re-elected in 2022.
Pritzker, heir to the wealthy Hyatt-owning Pritzker family, told The Atlantic that his billionaire status could become an “obstacle” if he decides to run for president.
JB Pritzker says he was frustrated by slow opposition to Donald Trump
In an August interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker pressed Governor Pritzker on his wealth.
“Some in your party are openly questioning whether billionaires such as yourself should exist at all, governor,” she said, showing a clip of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying the United States shouldn’t have billionaires. Welker then asked whether the Democratic Party should embrace an anti-billionaire message.
Pritzker responded that money does not define a person’s values. “Look, how much money you have doesn’t determine what your values are, and I’m a Democrat because I believe that everyone deserves health care."
"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 around this country,” he said.
“It does not matter what your income level is. What matters is what your values are and that’s what makes me a Democrat," he added.
JB Pritzker also told The Atlantic that he was frustrated it took so long to build strong opposition to Trump.
He added, “What I’ve been frustrated by is people who hold leadership positions. And I’m not talking about elected Democrats only. I’m talking about CEOs of companies. I’m talking about boards of universities. I’m talking about people who have influence, who have the ability to stand up but are afraid."
