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Pritzker readying a formal bid

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• Illinois

* Subscribers know more…

* Natasha heard the same rumors as Mary Ann…

Is billionaire businessman J.B. Pritzker closing in on a formal announcement for governor? A couple of top Illinois politicos told us Monday they were picking up signals that he was close to announcing. The Pritzker camp was mum about timing last night.

* He’s been signaling it on his Twitter account lately as well…

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:40 am

Comments

1. I think you put it best this morning Rich. “Union leaders I’ve spoken with over the past couple of months say they’ve been most surprised by how Pritzker comes off as a “regular guy” in person.”

   He’s going to surprise a lot of people who expect a billionaire to be distant or strange. This is not a happy development for our governor.

   Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:45 am

2. i know a billionaire will never represent my interests. money’s like manure, it stinks when it’s in a big pile. he needs to spread it around and help better candidates grow.

   Comment by Homer J. Quinn Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 11:54 am

3. “WOO-HOO!”
   - No One Ever

   Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:09 pm

4. I just don’t know how well Pritzker thinks on his feet or how charismatic he is. Those things are important.
   He’s the one candidate that can match Rauner dollar for dollar in campaign spending and he doesn’t have a record to run on, Rauner does and he can’t run on it.

   Comment by The Dude Abides Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:16 pm

5. Vaguely similar to Al Capone or Babe Ruth in facial appearance.

   Comment by Any mouse Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:28 pm

6. ===Those things are important===

   Agreed. But I know him, so I know he is great on his feet and he has a fine record to run on. In addition to his work with the Human Rights Council, he has a great business record of creating jobs, especially tech sector jobs. In fact. he’s played a key role in developing a tech sector in Illinois.

   Contrasting Pritzker’s knack for creating businesses versus Rauner’s knack for liquidating businesses, I think Pritzker will compare quite well.

   Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:32 pm

7. ==Vaguely similar to Al Capone or Babe Ruth in facial appearance.==

   Yabba dabba don’t go there.

   Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:35 pm

8. The challenges for Pritzker don’t include Regular Democrats encouraging his candidacy, they already do, in so far the monies Pritzker could mean is reason enough to encourage and help Pritzker to choose to run (for this discussion’s sake).

   The challenges are the bottom-up support of voters, and the “bottom-up” structural of a statewide organization that can win, twice, while navigating pitfalls novice candidates fall into during campaigns.

   The messaging, the ground game, the melding of Labor/Democrats/Social Service Advocates… and that Crew that Pritzker can put together, without a “need or want” financially… Pritzker has a big opening, an opportunity…

   … but it begins with a Crew… it starts with a message… it builds on momentum… and wins with a plan coming together.

   Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:38 pm

9. Come Thursday when he officially gets in the race the real game starts. Should be very interesting.

   Comment by Rocky Rosi Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:50 pm

10. i know him a little bit from some tech/vc stuff. Just a regular guy. I wish I knew him well enough to suggest a good custom tailor.

    Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:04 pm

11. I’m beginning to wonder if Pritzker’s too late. Biss seems to already have the inside track on the established Democratic ground game, but can Pritzker’s money and national contacts counteract that?

    At some point someone is going to have to sit the candidates down to remind them the goal is in November 2018, not April 2018. Although I may be in an echo chamber here, but Quinn lost in 2014 rather than Rauner winning, so hopefully we don’t see the same thing in 2018 with whoever wins the Dem primary burning bridges within the party to hamper the main event.

    Comment by Swift Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:26 pm

12. ===if Pritzker’s too late===

    lol

    Calm down. There’s almost a year to go before primary day.

    Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:29 pm

13. I imagine that JB is still being fitted for his formal bid wear. He’s given us such a sartorial glimpse with that bow tie pix.

    Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:48 pm

14. He looks like a regular guy, so he should do well with everyday working men and women. If what I hear is correct, unions (including public sector) will get behind him.

    Comment by ILGOV2018 Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:59 pm

15. ==I just don’t know how well Pritzker thinks on his feet or how charismatic he is. Those things are important.==

    That’s the big question. If he’s charismatic and can keep the Resistance energized, he’ll be the next Governor.

    Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 2:33 pm

16. “- Swift - Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 1:26 pm:

    I’m beginning to wonder if Pritzker’s too late.”

    Seriously? Only insiders and junkies are paying attention now. There’s plenty o time for the primary. There’s really only two questions - can he connect with voters and can he put together a strong operation?

    If he can connect (and early reports from all over the place suggest he can) then he should do very well. Time will tell on that and the campaign.

    Comment by Anon0091 Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 2:58 pm

17. Any chance for a candidate who could attract some suburban/collar votes? Bruce is saying the more the merrier, he’s about to help fund P. Quinn.

    Comment by Not a woman Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 3:01 pm

18. I see Pawar with the possibility of an almost open track on the left of the party (about 50% of Democratic voters as shown by last year’s presidential primary). Kennedy and Biss are both basically mainstream Democratic candidates and will split the mainstream vote along with Pritzker (and maybe Pawar, if his campaign catches fire). Biss is trying to move left in keeping with seismic trends in the party, but SB 1 will continue to haunt him. Kennedy, despite his family heritage, seems conservative by Democratic standards. Pritzker may well be more liberal politically than either Kennedy or Biss, and more a man of the people, but billionaires have become poison among Democratic faithful following the brutal crushing of the Sanders campaign by party regulars. Pritzker must work hard to overcome the billionaire stigma. All in all, a very murky crystal ball seems to show a two-person race developing between Pritzker and Pawar.

    Comment by Quiet Sage Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 3:29 pm

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