Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who repeatedly expressed his support of President Joe Biden as dozens of Democratic lawmakers ultimately called for him to step aside during the 2024 election cycle, issued a statement Sunday after Biden withdrew his candidacy for a second term in the White House.
Pritzker, who has been repeatedly floated as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate, praised Biden’s life of public service and said he remains steadfast in his determination to help Democrats to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
Here is his full statement:
“President Joe Biden has dedicated his life in service to this nation, and its citizens are all the better for it. His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime. As President of the United States he led us through a recovery from a devastating pandemic and shepherded our economy away from a recession to prosperity. He worked across the aisle to pass some of the most consequential legislation in decades to rebuild our roads and bridges while investing in the infrastructure and jobs of the 21st century. Perhaps most consequentially, President Biden restored dignity to the Oval Office, bringing the statesmanship and honor that have been the hallmarks of his years of service, back to the White House.
“As we extend our gratitude to President Biden and reflect on his many accomplishments, we must not ignore the threat posed by Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. Donald Trump is a 34 time convicted felon, adjudicated to have committed sexual assault, a racist, homophobe and misogynist. Trump brags about taking away a woman’s right to choose, wants to rip healthcare away from tens of millions of people, proposes economic policies that will cost the middle class thousands of dollars a year, and threatens the fundamental American ideals we hold dear. I will work every day to ensure that he does not win in November.”
Pritzker’s name has repeatedly been floated in conversations about the party’s national ticket, and he has become one of the party’s rising stars, with high-profile speaking engagements in battleground states and becoming one of the party’s biggest fundraisers.
Along with fellow governors like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pritzker will likely be at least considered as a vice presidential nominee if current Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the party’s nominee. She was endorsed by Biden as he announced he would no longer seek reelection on Sunday.
A majority of Democratic delegates will have to back Harris at the upcoming Democratic National Convention, set to take place in late August in Chicago. If she doesn’t secure a majority of the pledged delegates freed by Biden, voting will continue until a candidate receives that majority.