A day after Biden quits race, Gov. J.B. Pritzker leads parade of Illinois Democrats backing Kamala Harris

Led by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois’ leading Democrats joined others from across the nation Monday in swiftly closing ranks behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to succeed President Joe Biden as the party’s 2024 White House nominee exactly four weeks before Chicago hosts the party’s national nominating convention.

While Pritzker took himself out of the running to potentially challenge Harris for the party’s presidential nod, the state’s second-term governor did not address whether he would seek to join her as the party’s vice presidential running mate.

“Vice President Harris has proven, at every point in her career, that she possesses the skills, strength, and character to lead this country and the vision to better the lives of all Americans,” Pritzker said in a statement the day after Biden succumbed to growing pressure and withdrew from the presidential race.

“From protecting women’s rights to defending American workers and strengthening the middle class, Vice President Harris is a champion of the American values we hold dear,” Pritzker said. “She represents our party’s best chance to defeat Donald Trump in November, and I will work my heart out to help her do that.”

Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, had been frequently mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Biden, and he would be one of the few candidates with the financial resources to self-fund a campaign.

Following Biden’s decision Sunday, most Democratic members of the state’s U.S. House delegation quickly followed the president’s lead and backed Harris for the nomination. At the same time, Pritzker and several other leading state Democrats hailed Biden’s service but kept their powder dry on endorsing a successor to assess a quickly shifting political landscape that settled on the vice president.

In his statement, Pritzker said he spoke to Harris on Sunday and told her “Biden’s selfless decision came as a genuine surprise.” Pritzker then explained that his initial silence on her candidacy was an example of the “sober and mature approach to decision-making” he has taken as governor.

“It’s important to be thoughtful about what’s next for the Democratic Party and for the country, which is why I spent hours (Sunday) talking to fellow leaders in our party getting and giving input about the road to victory in November,” he said. “I am also cognizant of the unique role we play here in Illinois as hosts of the Democratic National Convention.”

After Pritzker announced his endorsement Monday morning, others quickly followed, including the state Democratic Party organization under state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, over which the governor has a strong influence, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

On Monday morning, after issuing his statement backing Harris, Pritzker reacted on social media to an earlier Chicago Tribune story that noted his interest in the White House and quoted Democratic source who speculated the governor “would be running for something.”

“You think I just fell out of a coconut tree?” Pritzker said on his personal “X” account, a reference to a phrase Harris said her mother used that has become a meme for ignoring historical context, such as Harris seeking to become the nation’s first Black and Asian American woman president.

Still, Pritzker’s name is among several that are being floated as possibilities for the vice presidential slot along with Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Roy Cooper of North Carolina along with Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. But Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told the Detroit News, “I am not going anywhere.

Among other Illinois Democrats backing Harris on Monday were the state’s senior U.S. senator, Dick Durbin, the No. 2 ranking Democrat in the chamber, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

At an unrelated news conference on the Southwest Side, Durbin said he delayed his endorsement of Harris “because Joe Biden has been my friend for 30 years, and I thought (Sunday) was his day.” He said Harris called him Sunday night asking for his support and he said he made it clear to her “that I was going to endorse her.”

“We have to get our act together, and the first thing we’re going to face is right here in Chicago. What’s going to happen at the convention now that we’re choosing another nominee? I want to make sure that this is done fairly, openly, but it’s done in a timely fashion,” he said.

As for a vice presidential candidate, Durbin said, “I have too many friends who are interested” to give a list.

While Durbin has not had a close relationship with Illinois’ governor, the senator said Pritzker has been “an extraordinarily effective governor” and “has a lot to offer.”

But, he added, “I think there’s a substantially long list of possibilities.”

Pritzker has sought to substantially increase his political footprint, traveling the country as a surrogate for the then-Biden-Harris ticket as well as through his “Think Big America” operation that has provided millions of dollars to states seeking to enact abortion rights laws in the wake of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and made the issue subject to state laws.

Gaining a spot on the 2024 ticket would further enhance Pritzker’s national reputation beyond the Democratic insiders who know him as a significant donor. If a Harris-Pritzker ticket was successful, he would become the favorite as her successor. If it failed, it could diminish Pritzker’s presidential prospects in years to come.

As for the Democratic National Convention, where Pritzker will serve as host-state governor, members of the national party’s rules committee are set to meet Wednesday to determine the path forward for choosing a new ticket.

Later Monday, Pritzker stopped by the convention committee’s West Loop headquarters, convention officials said, and asked staff there to give a round of applause to Biden’s 50 year record of public service. While noting the convention still has to wait for an official nominee, he reiterated his endorsement of Harris. and said he was committed to showing off Chicago during the convention.