Dem governor to headline major fundraiser in key presidential primary state stoking 2028 speculation

In a move that is sure to spark 2028 speculation, the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Monday announced that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker this spring will headline their largest annual fundraiser.

Pritzker, the two-term governor of blue state Illinois, will deliver the keynote address at the New Hampshire Democrats' McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner on April 27 in Manchester, the state's largest city.

The governor, a member of the Pritzker family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain and who has started several of his own venture capital and investment startups, is seen as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic Party presidential nomination. And trips to New Hampshire – which for over a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House – are seen as an early indicator of a politician's interest in running for the presidency in the next election.

The 60-year-old Pritzker has been one of his party's leaders in opposing President Donald Trump's second-term agenda.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker is interviewed by Fox News Digital at the New Hampshire Democratic Party delegation's breakfast, at the Democratic National Convention, on Aug. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Paul Steinhauser)

Pritzker, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, late last year launched a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy, in order to resist the Trump administration.

Their move came in the wake of last November's elections, when the Democrats lost the White House and their Senate majority, and failed to win back control of the House of Representatives.

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In recent weeks, Pritzker has amplified his verbal attacks on Trump and his administration.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivers his annual budget address on Feb. 19, 2025, at the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

The release from the New Hampshire Democratic Party noted that "Pritzker is known for his ability to provide strong leadership in tough times, something we need now more than ever."

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Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley, pointing to the Illinois governor's progressive record of accomplishment, emphasized that the governor "is an example of why Democrats should govern all across this country – because they deliver."

Pritzker, who is not prevented by term limits from running for re-election in 2026, has yet to say if he'll make a bid for a third term steering Illinois.

The governor is also no stranger to New Hampshire. He headlined the 2022 New Hampshire Democratic Party convention, and he returned last September, to campaign on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's 2024 presidential nominee. Pritzker made multiple stops, including addressing union members at the New Hampshire AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day breakfast.

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Pritzker, who led a successful effort to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, was also among the potential 2028 White House contenders to speak during the convention week at the New Hampshire Democratic Party delegation's daily breakfast.