Pritzker for president? Check that Illinois baggage.

As Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker positions himself because the foil to President Donald Trump, a have a look at his report as governor is telling. What it’s telling is just not good.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is elevating his nationwide profile as he ponders turning into a candidate within the 2028 presidential main, however his time main Illinois affords loads of proof about his capacity to control successfully.

Or not.

Pritzker has been making marketing campaign stops across the nation. He’s positioning himself as Donald Trump’s chief antagonist, the chief Democrats want.

A billionaire inheritor, he has spent over $350 million of his inherited fortune to win election and reelection as governor. He’s spent tens of thousands and thousands extra to carry the Democratic Nationwide Conference to Chicago and to bankroll Democratic candidates, activist teams nationwide and coverage proposals.

Voters questioning if they need to give him a shot at a better workplace ought to consider his report as governor by means of the lens of the important thing crises threatening America’s future. Right here’s how he stacks up:

The financial risk

Pritzker has dismissed tariffs and tax reform as instruments to guard American trade, as a substitute favoring giant subsidies and company giveaways.

But, Illinois’ 4.8% unemployment price in April exceeded the nationwide common of 4.2%. That unemployment price interprets into 322,000 Illinoisans in search of work, in response to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Submit-COVID job development in Illinois has been pushed largely by public sector hiring. In 2024, the one job features got here from the federal government because the state gained 15,600 state authorities jobs and 16,000 native authorities jobs. It concurrently misplaced 16,200 jobs in skilled and enterprise providers.

Securing the border

Illinois – particularly Chicago – has used its sanctuary state and metropolis standing to offset individuals shifting away. Whereas outmigration has led to 1.6 million residents leaving the state since 2000 and contributed to almost a decade of inhabitants decline, the current inflow of worldwide migrants has padded the inhabitants. Somewhat than settle for accountability and work to enhance causes individuals transfer, Pritzker has claimed the Census itself is inaccurate in its reporting.

The state is now dwelling to an estimated 530,000 undocumented immigrants, in response to the Middle for Immigration Research. It has spent greater than $2.6 billion on migrant providers. In some instances, undocumented migrants are receiving advantages that many authorized residents, scuffling with their very own challenges, don’t.

Financial development

Illinois lags the nation in almost each key post-COVID financial metric and has turn out to be the “sick child” of the Midwest. Since Pritzker took workplace in 2019, the Illinois financial system has grown 4.4% in actual phrases; thrice slower than U.S. development of 12.2%. The “Rich States, Poor States” report from the American Legislative Change Council ranks Illinois forty sixth in financial outlook for 2025 and forty seventh in financial efficiency throughout the previous decade.

Taxes and authorities development

Illinois has hiked taxes and costs over 70 instances since 2010 costing residents $110 billion. However moderately than fixing the state’s fiscal issues, the tax hikes have merely fueled extra authorities spending. Pritzker has raised taxes and costs 49 instances, in comparison with 9 instances below Gov. Bruce Rauner and 12 below Gov. Pat Quinn, even after receiving over $15 billion in federal COVID funds.

Underneath Pritzker, state spending has grown 36%. By comparability, spending below Rauner elevated simply 8%, and 15% below Quinn.

Debt and financial accountability

Illinois owes $144 billion in state pension debt, although actuaries estimate the load may very well be a lot larger. Its whole state and native pension debt is about double that of all neighboring states mixed. Yr after 12 months, Illinois budgets depend on short-term fixes and deferred obligations. Even after receiving an additional $35 billion from a mixture of pandemic federal reduction and better than anticipated revenues, the state is dealing with a price range deficit in 2026.

For instance, Pritzker’s proposed price range is $5.1 billion lower than the actuarially required pension contribution wanted to make actual progress on decreasing the long-term shortfall.

Public security

Illinois grew to become the primary state within the nation to fully get rid of money bail, whereas failing to implement protections for victims, witnesses or cops. Within the Midwest, it has the best theft price and the second-highest homicide price. Chicago leads the nation in murders, school-age youngster homicides and mass shootings amongst main cities.

Public training

Illinois public faculties are among the many highest funded within the nation, but additionally among the many worst performing. The state spends a mean of $21,800 per scholar – 16% to 64% greater than neighboring states. Chicago Public Colleges spends greater than $30,000 per scholar. Lower than one-third of Illinois third graders might learn at grade stage.

Pritzker grew to become the primary governor within the nation to get rid of a college selection program when he let the statewide Spend money on Children tax credit score scholarship program expire. It was serving to over 15,000 low-income households entry faculties that finest met their wants, leaving needy households and college students scrambling.

The risk to democracy

Regardless of promising to solely approve a good legislative district map, Pritzker backtracked and handed one other gerrymandered map to maintain his friends in energy. Democrats maintain a veto-proof majority within the Illinois Common Meeting and Pritzker donates closely to Democratic campaigns in addition to statewide referendums.

Pritzker issued greater than 100 govt orders throughout his tenure – together with extending COVID emergency powers greater than 40 instances – lengthy after different states ended their declarations, successfully granting himself unchecked energy.

Financial inequality

Fairness has been a said precedence in Illinois authorities since at the least 2019, when Pritzker took workplace. But a 2024 WalletHub research ranked Illinois useless final amongst states in racial fairness, based mostly on eight indicators together with poverty, homelessness, labor drive participation, homeownership, govt employment, family revenue and unemployment gaps between Black and white residents.

Conclusion: a report of decline

Pritzker’s stewardship of Illinois affords little proof that he’s ready to deal with the nation’s most pressing challenges. Voters are responding with their toes: a current Lincoln Ballot discovered greater than 50% of Illinois residents would depart the state if that they had the means.

The message is obvious: Illinoisans are deeply dissatisfied with life below Pritzker. The identical might turn out to be true for the nation.