J.B. Pritzker, Illinois’ billionaire Democrat governor, has put Joe Biden on notice by hinting that he may launch a primary challenge against the president if he runs for re-election.
Pritzker was dropping hunts during an interview with NBC News, saying “it’s certainly possible.”
The governor has been rumored to be weighing a campaign for the presidency in 2024.
And Pritzker doesn’t appear to be hiding it, likely due to Biden’s soaring unpopularity.
He was just in New Hampshire to give a big speech to help the campaigns of Sen. Maggie Hassan and governor candidate Tom Sherman.
And as every politician knows, New Hampshire is an early primary state and critical to winning if you want to be president.
Pritzker going to New Hampshire now is not an accident and Biden should be worried.
Pritzker said of Biden getting primaried:
“That’s not something I’m encouraging, but it’s certainly possible.
“We’ve seen it in the past.
“For me, I’m focused on my re-election and what it is I can do for the people of Illinois.”
NEW: JB Pritzker, who has fueled speculation about his own White House ambitions with a visit to New Hampshire, tells me it’s ‘certainly possible’ that President Joe Biden faces a primary if he runs for re-election. (He says he’s not encouraging it).
https://t.co/RyMcspBOBA— Natasha Korecki (@natashakorecki) June 30, 2022
From Politico:
New Hampshire Democrats zeroed in on abortion rights during their annual convention here Saturday, bringing in Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to prop up the campaigns of Sen. Maggie Hassan and governor candidate Tom Sherman, who will likely ease through September’s primary but face tough races heading into November’s general election.
“The Republican Party is so afraid of the power and influence women have achieved in our society that they are seeking to shame and criminalize your very autonomy,” said Pritzker, who leads a state that has a law that codifies Roe v. Wade.
It’s a subject that generated the most applause throughout the day, including during a speech by Marty Walsh, Secretary of Labor and the former mayor of Boston (Massachusetts also has codified Roe).
For the record, Walsh told the crowd, that he’s not running for president.
Pritzker’s name, on the other hand, has popped up repeatedly as a potential future presidential candidate, most recently when it was announced he’d be speaking Saturday in New Hampshire.
But the Democratic governor’s political team says Pritzker is only focused on his reelection and on helping elect Democrats across the country who support abortion rights.
Pritzker, a self-described “Ukrainian-American, Jewish, Democratic, billionaire, businessman,” was scheduled to travel to Maine after leaving New Hampshire to campaign for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
The Illinois governor’s rallying cry for defeating Republicans caught the attention of Democrats in the Granite State, where presidential candidates have flocked over the years to introduce themselves.
