Who is JB Pritzker and what is Pritzker running on in the 2026 Illinois Governor race?

JB Pritzker is the Democratic candidate for Illinois governor, and the incumbent. Governor of Illinois since 2019; billionaire businessman and Hyatt heir. Running mate: former deputy governor Christian Mitchell. Would be the first Illinois governor elected to three terms since 1982. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Incumbent JB Pritzker (D) seeking third term (rematch of 2022 against Darren Bailey).
• Rating: Solid D (Cook, Inside Elections).
• Polling: Pritzker 54, Bailey 34 (Victory Research, Nov 20 to 24, 2025).

Why Pritzker is ahead

• Illinois is solidly blue; Democrats have won all but one governor’s race since 2002.
• It’s a rematch: Pritzker beat Bailey in 2022, when Bailey got 42% statewide and 24% in Cook County.
• Incumbency plus Pritzker’s personal fortune and national profile as a leading Trump critic.
• The only public poll shows a 20-point Pritzker lead.

What Pritzker is running on

• Trump. Positions himself as a leading opponent of the Trump administration, which he calls an ‘unmitigated disaster’.
• Immigration. Highlights his resistance to aggressive federal immigration enforcement in Chicago.
• Wages. Runs on raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
• State finances. Points to credit-rating upgrades and a smaller unpaid-bill backlog.
• Marijuana. Cites legalizing recreational marijuana as an achievement.
• Energy / data centers. Paused tax incentives for data centers.
• Education. Backed a ban on cell phones in schools.

In Pritzker’s own words

“This is the fight of our lives. Everything we care about is under siege from Washington.”

The other candidates

• Darren Bailey (R)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.