Gov. Pritzker deflects questions from CBS News about whether he'll run for president
Speaking to CBS News late last week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker deflected a question about whether he plans to run for president, and also addressed the prospect of a Democratic redistricting for Illinois in the wake of a controversial Republican redistricting plan that passed in Texas.
Pritzker emphasized that has been standing up to President Trump, particularly amid a reported plan by the Trump administration to send military forces to Chicago. But he said it was too soon to talk about what the next Democratic should do when it comes possibly to reversing the Trump administration's policies.
Pritzker announced his plans to run for a third term in late June. He reiterated in his interview with CBS News on Friday that he is running for reelection — and was asked whether a voter could walk into the booth in Illinois knowing that Pritzker would serve his entire third term if he wins.
"I've been in office now for six-and-a-half years. I have dedicated myself, myself entirely to the state of Illinois, and I always will," Pritzker said. "I don't know what the future holds."
When specifically asked if he is running for president, Pritzker said, "My plan is to run for reelection as governor of the state."
When asked if it was even something he is thinking about, Pritzker redirected the topic to the bench of senators and governors in the Democratic Party who could be "good choices."
"I can just say that there, you know, there's no reason for us not to be thinking about all of those choices and thinking about what is it that the American people really want? What they want is to be able to go to the grocery store and afford things. They want to be able to buy a house," Pritzker said. "They want to be able to get a good job, and those are things that Democrats are fighting for."
Pritzker would not say whether he would put himself on that bench.
Meanwhile, Pritzker was asked if there was any chance that Illinois would redraw its congressional lines before the 2026 midterm elections. This past Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that redraws congressional maps in the state, that could result in up to five seats currently held by Democrats to flip Republican.
Texas lawmakers approved the map last weekend, creating five new districts favoring Republicans. The move came after President Trump requested it.
The effort by Mr. Trump and Texas' Republican-majority Legislature that prompted state Democrats to hold a two-week walkout also kicked off a redistricting effort in California, with other Democratic-led states hinting that they may follow suit. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democratic state lawmakers are moving forward with a November special election to put a new congressional map before the voters that could help Democrats gain five seats.
Pritzker said a redistricting plan is not something he wants to do, but suggested that it might be necessary to take action.
"I have to say, if Donald Trump is going to force his will on the American people by going to his MAGA allies in various states and having them redraw in the middle of a decade, when you're supposed to be doing it right after a census with a year ending in one, not a year ending in five — if he's going to do that all over the country, I think all of us have to think about what it is that we can do to counter that," Pritzker said.
CBS News noted that Illinois' electoral map already gets an F from most good government groups for being gerrymandered. But Pritzker said it is possible to add more Democratic districts in Illinois.
"Like I said, it's not something that I want to do, and I'd like it to stop here. I know Texas is now signing this map into law, the governor of Texas. We know how much he cares about the country, not at all. And we're now going to see it in California, probably," Pritzker said. "I hope that it ends there. It ought to end there. And we ought to, you know, get a census done in 2030 and a new map done in 2031."
The governor was also asked about gun legislation in Illinois. In late July, Pritzker signed two bills seeking to target crime and strengthen safety around guns — one requiring Illinois police departments share more information on guns found at crime scenes with other law enforcement, the other strengthening gun storage laws.
Pritzker noted that Illinois has also banned assault weapons, bump stocks, and so-called "switches" that allow semi-automatic firearms to fire rounds automatically.
"These are all things that reduce the number of shootings. And by the way, guess what. Shootings are down significantly in the city of Chicago and across the state of Illinois," said Pritzker. "And again, I very much believe that people who have a right to own a gun should be able to go get one, but that you've got to have universal background checks. You've got to make sure that you're not selling guns that give someone the ability to commit a mass attack, in a school or anywhere else. But people have a right to protect themselves. There's a Second Amendment, and I believe that."
Pritzker also spoke at length about the Trump administration's reported plan to send military forces to Chicago. The governor called the idea an "invasion" and arguing President Trump has "other aims" aside from cracking down on crime.
Asked about a possible military deployment to America's third-largest city, which was recently reported by The Washington Post, Pritzker told CBS News: "It's clear that, in secret, they're planning this — well, it's an invasion with U.S. troops, if they, in fact, do that."