SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — It’s more than 16 months away from November 2026, but Governor J.B. Pritzker kicked off his re-election campaign Thursday.

Pritzker started off his campaign for his third term for governor focusing on his record of turning around the state’s economic conditions.

“It’s hugely important, if after 25 years of credit downgrades, we’re actually moving toward being AA credit,” Pritzker said.

The governor rallied across four cities– Chicago, Rockford, Peoria and Springfield –to launch his campaign, touting to supporters the difference he says his leadership has made to the state. He also plans to stop in Belleville and West Frankfort Friday.

“One by one, we have taken on the big problems of Illinois, and we have begun to or completely solve them. But we’ve got more work to do,” Pritzker said.

He also says he needs to focus on protecting the people of Illinois from Trump administration policies.

“It feels like walking away is the wrong thing to do, given who is in the White House and given how this administration is attacking people all across this country,” the governor said.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) views Pritzker’s history of state spending will haunt him on the campaign trail.

“Being a third-term governor, you’re not going to be able to hide what’s been done in the last two terms and that’s a lot of sweeps and gimmicks for the budget,” McCombie said. “We’re already going to be in the FY27 $1 billion behind.”

Pritzker was a finalist for Kamala Harris’s Vice President pick last year, and several political experts have speculated Pritzker will run for President in 2028. He did not answer if he was planning to be a presidential candidate.

“Every day I wake up and try to figure out what more can I do for the people of Illinois as governor,” he said. “The reason I’m running for reelection as governor is because it gives me an opportunity to actually get those things done.”
McCombie is confident he will run for president in 2028.

“You heard in his remarks today, Trump, Trump, Trump,” she said. “You’d think he was running against Trump for governor.”
The next step for the governor is announcing his running mate. Pritzker will be making this push without his second in command, as Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is running for US Senate. He told reporters Thursday that will happen before the end of July.

If Pritzker is elected, that would make him Illinois’ longest serving governor since Jim Thompson who left office in 1991.