Black lawmakers suggest Gov. Pritzker jeopardized support with Black voters in potential 2028 presidential run

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has some damage control to do with some Black lawmakers who say his decision to tilt the state’s Senate Democratic primary in favor of his lieutenant governor could cost him support from Black voters should he run for president in 2028.

According to a report from Politico’s Brakkton Booker, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are still fuming from Tuesday’s election results, in which Illinois LG Juliana Stratton beat out U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and CBC member, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly. Days before the primary race, CBC Chairwoman Rep. Yvette D. Clarke called out Gov. Pritzker, who, not surprisingly, endorsed his number two, Stratton. Pritzker, whose net worth is $3.9 billion, donated $5 million to boost Stratton’s Senate campaign. Clarke accused Pritzker of “tipping the scales” in Stratton’s favor.

Pritzker is among a crop of Democrats rumored to be considering a 2028 presidential run. Following his role in defeating one of their own, some Congressional Black Caucus members believe the Illinois governor will have to make amends. The CBC, established in 1971, has been an influential political engine of Black power and wields considerable sway over its constituents, which includes millions of Black Americans.

“I’m sure at some point if he decides to run, he’ll have to come with that justification,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi told Politico.

Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio told Politico, “The Democratic candidate for president that prevails has to go through [the CBC],” adding, “The CBC is very strategic and so if there is an issue … we will lay out our framework for what it will take” to get the caucus’s endorsement.

The Politico report notes that Pritzker and Rep. Kelly had a “long-standing beef” after the Illinois governor worked to remove her from the Illinois Democratic Party; however, the two politicians reportedly moved on from the dispute. Booker spoke to more than a dozen CBC members, who say their gripe is with Pritzker and not Stratton, who is likely to win her November general election and join their ranks on January 3, 2027.

In a previous interview with theGrio, Stratton said she was proud to have Pritzker’s support and said, despite being “disappointed” by the CBC’s public pushback against that support, she looks forward to joining the caucus.

“I say that especially when I consider the work that Governor Pritzker and I have really done and have been intently focused on doing for these past seven years to uplift families across our state, no matter what community they come from,” Stratton told theGrio. “We’ve raised the minimum wage, we passed common-sense gun safety legislation. We’ve protected reproductive freedom. We’ve created thousands of jobs, and we’ve done so much more.”

The Senate hopeful added, “The CBC’s mission is to elect Black candidates and grow the Black Caucus…I agree with that mission and I certainly look forward to joining this caucus when I’m elected.”