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Pritzker reflects on VP vetting, asked about his future

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Illinois

* Gov. Pritzker said today that his vetting process by Vice President Harris and her team “was handled with the utmost professionalism, and I was glad that I made it through that process, made it to the final number of candidates.” Then said…

I want to be clear with everybody. You often hear me say I love being the governor of Illinois. I really do love being the governor of Illinois. And so I was very torn during this process, about being a participant in it. Not because I don’t support Kamala Harris. I do a thousand percent, and I will be out there campaigning for her at every turn whenever I have time to do so. But I also, you know, know that this job that I’m doing now that we’re making a big difference today. Just one example, I want to turn around to the members of the General Assembly, they’re here, Sen. Peters, to the Secretary of State, to my wife, to the lieutenant governor, to all the elected officials here and the people who vote for us. I come to work every day knowing that we can make a difference. And we have over the last five and a half years. And so I continue to come to work with a great deal of joy and not sorry at all about the fact that we have a terrific Midwestern governor in Tim Walz that’s been chosen. And I’m going to go out and support him and the ticket and Kamala Harris every day. I think there are 90 days left as of today in the election, and we have to beat Donald Trump.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* Gov. Walz is the current chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and Pritzker was asked whether he’d like that job…

At the moment, I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got. Being the chair of the DGA is a an enormous, you know, amount of time that Tim Walz put into that job. Did a great job, by the way. And in some ways, I’m sorry that we’re going to lose him. On the other hand, I’d like him to become the next Vice President.

He also said he hasn’t had any discussions about his electoral future when asked whether he had talked with family or staff about a third term.

* Is a cabinet position in his future?…

Q: Have you contemplated, either with Vice President Harris or just with yourself and your inner circle, a cabinet position? Is that something you would leave the governship for?

Pritzker: That is not something that I’ve contemplated. I really do love the job that I have. And remember that we’ve made a lot of improvements. We have a lot of work to do still for the state of Illinois, but we have made a lot of improvements. And I think, you know, every day I try to think about what’s the next thing, what’s on the list now that we can do to make people’s lives better. Today was a great day.

* He was also asked about the vetting process. Sen. Joe Lieberman, it was pointed out, once compared the process to having a colonoscopy without any anesthesia. Pritzker said Lieberman “described it very well” then said…

I’ll just say you know, it’s an honor to be considered and it’s a grueling process. But one that as you may recall, Tammy Duckworth went through it back in 2020 and it was months longer than this process. So, you know, I think that it’s a worthwhile thing because all of us, and Tammy in particular, I would say along with me you know, we know how important this election is.

[Asked for any specific questions he got during the vetting process.]

I can’t think of anything that you wouldn’t already know, that people might get asked. I think, you know, importantly, I think that the process is one that attempts to weed out, can you be somebody’s support mechanism, right, to be the number two? Can you bring, you know, another set of advice to the table that’s valuable? And I think, you know, you don’t get on that list unless they think you actually could be President of the United States and do the job if you had to. So, you know, I can’t think of a particular question you wouldn’t already know that gets asked. But again, it’s an honor to to be asked, even if some of those questions are like a colonoscopy.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 11:51 am

Comments

Well we can finally stop hearing from the people who claim they know JB wants to be POTUS, at least for a while. If you’re the gov of Delaware or a Dakota, I can see how being a cabinet member is a move up. Unless its Sec. of Commerce, I don’t think JB would want to leave. I hope I’m right.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 12:10 pm
Pritzker’s default is to be a class act.

Comment by Socially DIstant watcher Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 12:11 pm
JB likely has his eye on 2028.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 12:33 pm
Well if KH wins in ‘24, then ‘28 is off the table. That brings us to ‘32 where the Gov will be pushing 70.

I love what he’s done for the state but the windows closing. If KH loses obviously everything changes.

Comment by Alton Sinkhole Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 12:51 pm
I’d like to see JB serve two more terms, for a total of 4. The project he started, to rebuild Illinois is off to a great start and will take at least a generation to complete.

Being an important governor of an important state is a pretty good place to bide one’s time and see if an opportunity opens to run for president.

It may or may not. No doubt we’ve had countless, accomplished pols who due to luck and circumstances never got their shot and would have been highly successful presidents if they had the opportunity. Such is life.

Another possibility for JB - go for Senate if Durbin retires. That is a place for national exposure. It’s certainly worked out for President Obama and Vice President Harris. And, he has a current chief of staff who knows D.C.

Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:07 pm
Unnecessary defaming of colonoscopies which can be good diagnostic tests.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:09 pm
===You often hear me say I love being the governor of Illinois. I really do love being the governor of Illinois.===

I believe the Governor. I also believe that one of the things that has limited some of the impact he has had on State Government is the attitude that exists, especially among merit comp positions that didn’t change from the previous administration, is that the Governor is only positioning himself for higher office and they just need to wait until he leaves.

===I can’t think of a particular question you wouldn’t already know that gets asked.===

I hope the Governor will be more candid in his end of public career memoirs.

===JB likely has his eye on 2028. ===

He hasn’t even written a book yet.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:14 pm
===go for Senate if Durbin retires===

That’ll never happen.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:15 pm
I’m hoping there will be an election…come 2028.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:20 pm
Candy - you might be wise to take a page from JB’s book and learn how to be classy. There is no proof of what you claim and the Governor’s undeniable success actually points to the opposite.

As to the Governor’s remarks - pitch perfect as usual. I think he would have made a superb VP - but I am selfishly glad we get to keep him in Illinois.

Comment by Dakno Thing Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:23 pm
Didn’t Pritzker want Commerce when everyone assumed Hillary would be elected in 2016? I don’t see him going from Governor of Illinois to that position, which is considered one of the “B league” cabinet departments.

Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 1:24 pm
===learn how to be classy===

All of my good responses to this would be negative hits for the Governor. I don’t know why you’re inviting me to throw barbs at the Governor.

===There is no proof of what you claim===

I shared my opinion. I didn’t offer any proof. If you want to believe that people in merit comp positions are universally supportive of the Governor’s administration and enthusiastically embrace his agenda I envy the sunshine and rainbows that grace your every moment on this earth.

===undeniable success actually points to the opposite===

The notion that everything is successful all of the time is pretty silly. Are not a frequent reader of this blog?

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 2:46 pm
“JB likely has his eye on 2028.”

Nope. Kamala will hopefully be up for re-election in 28. Next open window is likely 2032.

Comment by New Day Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 3:11 pm
JB is a fabulous governor and currently leading transformational change in our state. While it would have been awesome for him to be selected, I am delighted that he’s going to hang around here for quite a while longer.

I fully expect him to run for re-election and couldn’t be more excited at this prospect.

Comment by New Day Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 3:13 pm
==people in merit comp==

I don’t know why you exhibit such disdain for people in merit comp positions. You act as if everyone in merit comp is a political hack when that couldn’t be further from the proof. A small minority of merit comp positions fit that mold. The rest are professional positions that simply don’t belong in the union. You act as if merit comp should be purged with every administration. I generally like your commentary but I have to tell you that when it comes to state personnel matters you couldn’t be more wrong in your assessments.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 4:11 pm
So Candy, the Governor doesnt feel threatened by people in merit comp positions who may differ with him on certain issues. Thats to his credit.

Comment by low level Tuesday, Aug 6, 24 @ 4:40 pm