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JB Pritzker
Democratic · Governor, Illinois · Incumbent since 2019
2026 General Election
JB Pritzker has served as Governor of Illinois since 2019 and is running for a third term, which would make him the first Illinois governor elected to three terms since 1982. A member of the Hyatt Hotels heir family and a major Democratic donor before entering politics, he won the 2018 governor's race and was re-elected in 2022 by more than 13 points. Under his tenure Illinois enacted major progressive legislation including expanded abortion protections, LGBTQ rights measures, and a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour.
Official website →Views on the Issues
Gov. Pritzker’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
JB Pritzker
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker has focused on job creation, infrastructure investment, and supporting Illinois's manufacturing sector. He signed the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act promoting electric vehicle manufacturing and clean energy jobs. He has backed minimum wage increases, worker protections, and union rights alongside business investment incentives to attract employers to Illinois.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker has expanded Medicaid coverage in Illinois and signed legislation codifying abortion rights in state law following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, making Illinois a destination for abortion access in the Midwest. He has backed expanded mental health services and drug treatment programs and supports comprehensive healthcare access as a state priority.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker has maintained Illinois as a welcoming state for immigrant communities and has pushed back against federal immigration enforcement actions in Illinois. He supports comprehensive federal immigration reform and has backed state-level protections for immigrant residents. He has navigated the significant influx of asylum seekers to Chicago during his tenure.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker has significantly increased state education funding, particularly for under-resourced districts, and has backed universal pre-K expansion and free community college access. He signed legislation increasing teacher pay and has focused on closing the funding gap between Illinois's wealthiest and poorest school districts.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act in 2023, banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines in Illinois. He has been a consistent advocate for gun safety legislation and views gun violence as a public health emergency requiring state and federal action. He backs universal background checks, red flag laws, and other comprehensive gun safety measures.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, one of the most comprehensive state clean energy laws in the nation, committing Illinois to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. He has backed significant investment in Illinois's clean energy sector and views the clean energy transition as an economic opportunity for Illinois workers.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker has been a prominent voice among Democratic governors on national and international affairs. He supports U.S. alliances, NATO commitments, and continued backing for Ukraine. As governor of a major Midwestern state with significant international trade relationships, he engages foreign policy through its effects on Illinois's agriculture, manufacturing, and financial sectors.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker is a strong defender of Social Security and Medicare and has opposed any reductions in earned benefits. He supports protecting both programs' long-term solvency and backs allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices as a cost-reduction measure that protects the program's fiscal foundation.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.JB Pritzker
Governor Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act, a major criminal justice reform law that eliminated cash bail in Illinois starting in 2023, making Illinois the first state to fully eliminate it. He supports a comprehensive approach to public safety that combines law enforcement investment with reforms addressing systemic inequities in the criminal justice system.Source →Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.