# Could Gov J B Pritzker be the next leader of the Democratic party? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 20, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596 "2025-02-20T21:39:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kitten\_Mitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kitten\_Mitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitten_Mitten)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/1 "2025-02-20T21:39:33Z")
He gave an awesome State of the State. Here’s a link to the text: [Gov J B Pritzker’s 2025 State of the State](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/full-text-illinois-gov-jb-pritzkers-state-of-the-state-address/3678119/) here are a few excerpts: “I know it’s in fashion at the federal level right now to just indiscriminately slash school funding, healthcare coverage, support for farmers, and veterans’ services. They say they’re doing it to eliminate inefficiencies. But **only an idiot would think we should eliminate** emergency response in a natural disaster, education and healthcare for disabled children, gang crime investigations, clean air and water programs, monitoring of nursing home abuse, nuclear reactor regulation, and cancer research. “I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly. But I know the history intimately — and have spent more time than probably anyone in this room with people who survived the Holocaust. Here’s what I’ve learned – _the root that tears apart your house’s foundation begins as a seed – a seed of distrust and hate and blame._ “The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe a lifetime ago didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame. (Comment: sound familiar) Here is what I find very alarming: **“It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.** ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/2 "2025-02-20T21:49:36Z")
Ken Martin was just elected as chair of the Democratic National Committee and they typically serve 4 years: > **[New DNC chair kicks off multistate tour as he takes over the party](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/new-dnc-chair-kicks-multistate-tour-takes-party-rcna192231)** > > Ken Martin, the longtime leader of Minnesota’s Democratic Party organization, won the vote to lead the national party committee this month. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/3 "2025-02-20T22:36:24Z")
Not a chance. He may be intelligent, ethical and all that, but he is Jewish and looks like a robber baron. No way the peepol will go for him. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/4 "2025-02-20T22:43:47Z")
He and AOC are IMO the de facto leaders of the Democratic Party these days, seeing as the Pelosi-Jeffries-Schumer faction seem to have absolutely no fight in them. I think he’s a clear frontrunner for 2028 at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/5 "2025-02-20T22:59:47Z")
I’m looking for someone who doesn’t hedge their bets, pull their punches, spend too much time figuring out how to work Trump, carefully focus-group a message that will supposedly appeal to Democratic voters, and isn’t afraid to throw a Molotov cocktail or two. I agree that both AOC and Pritzker are basically the only two people in the country that are doing that right now. I don’t care what Pritzker looks like or if he’s Jewish, or that he’s rich, I like that he’s got a bit of “Chicago-fuck-you” attitude in him. Voters, in general, seem to like the idea of a tough guy in power right now. Pritzker, I believe, can tap into that vibe better than a Buttigieg, Whitmer, Harris, Walz, Beshear or Warnock could. If AOC could stand to be associated with a billionaire, I think she’d make a great ying to his yang in '28. Then again, 2028 is a lifetime away, so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/6 "2025-02-26T14:32:22Z")
I see Huey Long. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/7 "2025-02-26T14:36:48Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I’m looking for someone who doesn’t hedge their bets, pull their punches, spend too much time figuring out how to work Trump, careful I thought that House Minority Leader Jeffries had the right idea - let the Republican Party implode. After the 2024 election it was clear that was a horrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/8 "2025-02-26T14:51:36Z")
Surely it’s a case of “Don’t let it implode - _make_ it” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/9 "2025-02-26T15:01:33Z")
That is clear now. Given the Speaker of the House fiasco one would think that sitting back would be enough. But it’s the difference between letting your prey bleed out vs. going for the killing blow. Sometimes your prey survives the bleeding. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/10 "2025-02-26T15:42:02Z")
For context, Pritzker is governor of Illinois and a Democrat. (I needed to google it.) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/11 "2025-02-26T16:51:38Z")
I’ve been re-watching the Hunger Games movies with my kids, and watching it kinda hits different these days. The left needs a Mockingjay-type figure. The right has coasted to undeserved success with their Mockingjay-- Donald Trump/MAGA/Red hats/etc. Symbolism, emotions, someone to inspire and motivate-- these all matter in politics in these times Someone and/or something that makes people feel good and hopeful. Symbols that let others know you’re on the same team. Just having sane, competent and button-downed “leaders” step up every four years with perfect resumes and TV-ready good looks and focus-grouped messages ain’t gonna cut it. There needs to be a viralness and visceralness to it all. Someone who the other side struggles to tarnish because there’s just an element of genuineness and not-giving-a-fuck attached to the person. Pritzker’s speech about Nazis was popping up all over my socials in the week after it happened, which got me excited. That’s a start, but he needs to keep staying relevant through new media sources over a sustained period of time. Maybe it’s not him. Maybe it’s AOC, maybe it’s Stephen A. Smith, maybe it’s someone we haven’t heard from yet, or maybe there’s just no Mockingjay coming to save us and we’re all going to get fucked hard by President Snow, from District 1 to District 13, and there’s nothing anyone can do. I don’t see anyone else stepping up to lead and inspire us through this-- not Gretchen Whitmer, not Pete Buttigieg, not Raphael Warnock, not Kamala Harris, not Amy Klobuchar, not Jared Polis, not Gavin Newsom, and certainly not Hakeem Jefferies or Chuck Schumer. There’s only so much a bunch of state capital protests and one-day boycotts can do without someone or something becoming an actual focal point of the resistance. I feel like there’s a simmering anger out there, disconnected and disjointed, but no one person is pulling it all together. Maybe it’s best to wait for the shit to actually start hitting the fan before someone emerges as the Mockingjay. ---
**Author:** ![Kitten\_Mitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kitten\_Mitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitten_Mitten)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/12 "2025-02-26T18:14:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Donald Trump/MAGA/Red hats/etc. Saw an Instagram a little while ago that said:“Red Hat spells HATRED. I cannot unsee this now.” > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I don’t see anyone else stepping up to lead and inspire us through this-- not… What about Senator Chris Murphy? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/13 "2025-02-26T18:39:17Z")
I agree about Senator Murphy. From what I’ve seen he has more fire in the belly and really can go after DJT and Musk in a way others don’t. I am very fond of Pritzker, (he’s my Governor) but I don’t know if he is the one to be the standard bearer of the resistance. He certainly has the ability to get under Donald’s skin so that’s a positive. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/14 "2025-02-26T19:30:23Z")
I have neither seen him nor really heard much about him (without Googling, I don’t think I could tell you where he’s from–CT?). And I think of myself as being fairly plugged-in on both social and traditional online media, both mainstream and leftish. He might be, but upon first mention, I don’t know who the heck he is. I’ll do some poking around. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/15 "2025-02-26T22:05:30Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I agree about Senator Murphy. From what I’ve seen he has more fire in the belly and really can go after DJT and Musk in a way others don’t. I saw [a piece he wrote about Republican proposals for tax and expenditure cuts. All very worthy, but wordy too.](https://www.fodors.com/community/fodorite-politics-and-religion/do-you-think-america-can-recover-1728232/page7/#post17635362) Might be more effective to distil it into a handful of bullet points and keep hammering away at how those will hit ordinary folk - but whose job is it to do that nationwide? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/16 "2025-03-12T16:42:19Z")
Another Illinoisan with eyes on 2028: [Rahm Emanuel.](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/03/12/rahm-emmanuel-president-2028-column-00224241) As far as policy and ideology goes, not my first choice. But if he has the ability to speak to the swing state voters we lost to Trump in 2024, he’s definitely on my radar. I’m less about ideological purity tests these days. A good candidate to me is a Democrat who can beat Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/17 "2025-03-13T03:03:27Z")
Tim Walz is making a play and doesn’t think you need to throw minorities under the bus OR invite Steve Bannon on your podcast. > **[Tim Walz to launch national tour of town halls in Republican House districts...](https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/12/politics/tim-walz-national-tour-town-halls/index.html)** > > Tim Walz is headed back out on the road – this time, for a tour of House districts represented by Republicans, some of whom have stopped holding town halls amid the raucous receptions their colleagues have gotten across the country. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-gov-j-b-pritzker-be-the-next-leader-of-the-democratic-party/1014596/18 "2025-03-16T19:59:02Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > For context, Pritzker is governor of Illinois and a Democrat. (I needed to google it.) I’m not sure if its relevant, but he is also worth about 4 billion dollars since he is a heir of the Pritzker family fortune. I’m not sure if that’ll hurt him with the democratic base. > **[Pritzker family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_family)** > > The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in various business enterprises and philanthropy, and one of the wealthiest families in the United States (staying in the top 10 of Forbes magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the magazine began such listings in 1982). Its fortune started in the 20th century, particularly through the expansion of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation by Jay Pritzker. > Family members still largely own Hyatt and prior to its sale to Berkshire Hathaway, the Mar...