* As we discussed yesterday, Gov. Pritzker talked about his involvement with the recent Ohio constitutional fight…
I’m proud to have supported the Vote No, that’s the side that supported choice. And it was a resounding victory. As you saw in 2022 in so many places around the country, a resounding victory for those of us who are pro-choice and for the people who live in those states who just want to preserve their reproductive freedom. So I was pleased with the outcome.
* Tribune…
Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, in June gave $250,000 to the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom PAC, a coalition of abortion rights organizations, Ohio campaign finance records show.
* Politico…
The governor also assigned some members of his political team, including political adviser and former campaign manager Mike Ollen, to help with strategic support in defeating the Ohio ballot measure. Pritzker team members sat in on the steering committee meetings for Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom.
* Of course, this isn’t the first time the governor has involved himself in other states. ABC News…
A prolific fundraiser, Pritzker has poured money into groups like the DGA and high-stakes races such as the recent contest for a seat on Wisconsin’s narrowly divided Supreme Court. […]
But he is also going out of his way to support the national party, through securing donations in battleground elections, joining Biden’s reelection advisory board and attracting the upcoming convention to Chicago.
* New York Magazine…
Pritzker, Biden confided to those in Chicago’s JW Marriott, “did more in 2020 to help me get elected president of the United States than just about anybody in the country. And that’s a fact.” […]
He is unapologetic about the political headway his donations and suggestions can make — electing Democrats is important, he says, so he’s doing what he can to help — and though he has yet to decide exactly what form his 2024 spending will take, he’s already been inundated with pitches from committees and super-PACs and from people suggesting he consider funding turnout-juicing projects like abortion referenda on swing-state ballots. […]
“From a financial perspective, it would be hard to find a hard-core Democrat who J. B. hasn’t helped,” said former Illinois congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who got her own significant boost from Pritzker after finding herself in political trouble when running the House Democrats’ campaign wing in 2020. […]
Pritzker maintains that he’s perfectly happy about the positive coverage surrounding Whitmer and others — perhaps not least because he knows how they got there. “I helped her get elected,” he says, shrugging. “And I helped her get reelected and I helped them get people elected to their legislatures, too.”
Bustos ain’t wrong. If you click here you can scroll through the contributions the governor has made. It looks, for instance, like he gave a couple of grand to the federal committees of most state parties in the country last year. His top federal contribution was $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC. He also gave at leat $350K each to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s campaign and Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party last year, plus $600K+ to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Democratic parties in Arizona, N. Carolina and Maine received $100K checks (with some receiving other contributions as well). It’s quite a list.
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:10 am:
As the saying goes, Pritzker puts his money where his mouth is. Compare that to a former billionaire president who not only doesn’t financially support like-minded candidates and causes, he expects his supporters to foot his campaign and legal bills.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:11 am:
Republican billionaires who spend big on their party’s candidates are usually identified as far right MAGA influencers.
JB boasts about being the most progressive Governor so by his own words he is far left, but he is never identified as a far left influencer.
This from the party that says Citizens United that allows billionaires to fund campaigns is a threat to democracy
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:14 am:
===he is never identified as a far left influencer===
LP never misses an opportunity to change the subject and hijack the conversation.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:24 am:
I doubt Pritzker has ever drew a foolish breath.
LP on the other hand…
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:26 am:
“hijack the conversation”
With a plastic gun, that’s actually a banana.
But Mom says he’s smart.
- West Side the Best Side - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:35 am:
Citizens United being what SCOTUS says it is, it would be political malfeasance for Dems not to use it. And, unlike the Republican billionaires, it looks like JB can actually pick winners.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:38 am:
=== opportunity to change the subject and hijack===
In this specific tact, - LP - always fails to acknowledge that 56% of voters in a 6-way race supported that candidate, and if Pritzker has that kind of “Jedi Mind Trick” power to convince 56% of primary voters to magically vote a certain way…
… and now to this post with - LP - ridiculousness to the comment…
… Pritzker would not need to invest in so many Democrats, Pritzker could magically get folks to vote anyway he wanted, no allies needed. But that’s not how any of this works, and -LP -, not one single time, did they support Pritzker over that candidate in ANY policy discussion, meaning even - LP - supported that “radical” candidate.
What Pritzker is doing is putting out markers. It’s wise.
Back “2,000 years ago”, it was the number of bodies you can flood precincts, mailings you could pay for, but what Pritzker has done and is doing is being quite versatile in being that support person in as many aspects as possible… because the funding of the necessity isn’t in question… but the skill, personnel, messaging is still quality and appreciated by the receivers.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:41 am:
- This from the party that says Citizens United that allows billionaires to fund campaigns is a threat to democracy -
Some of us can walk and chew gum in life. Thankfully there are places like the IPI that will take care of the rest of you.
- The Truth - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:49 am:
This from the party that says Citizens United that allows billionaires to fund campaigns is a threat to democracy
Ain’t no fun when the rabbit’s got the gun, is it?
- Jan’s attic Dweller - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 11:57 am:
Old fashioned party building babbyyyyy. It’s why the illinois dem party is the best in the country.
- dr. jimmy - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 12:14 pm:
buying his way to the white house.
- Earnest - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 12:16 pm:
I’m glad he is. There’s a good chance the federal elections next year will leave Illinois imposed with the Opposite Land policies he and the legislature are working to counter.
- Bob Meter - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 12:21 pm:
Pritzker will make a fine president someday.
- Lake Villa Township Dem PC - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 12:29 pm:
Just a reminder to the comments that it was Buckley v. Valeo that established that money=speech not Citizens United v. FEC. Also interesting fact the ACLU sided with citizens United in that case.
- Jerry - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 12:57 pm:
The ACLU is a consistently Conservative organization. By Conservative that means limited government. Republicans are small “c” conservative when it suits there narrative about the big bad guv’mint.
- JC - Thursday, Aug 10, 23 @ 2:36 pm:
He’s going to have a whole lot of chits to call in if and when he makes his play for the White House.