Pritzker preps for presidential run carrying weight of Illinois failures

Outcomes for Illinoisans have dropped since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office. The nation’s Democrats need to see where he’s taken Illinois before following his lead on the national stage.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appeared on CNN, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, made what sounded like a stump speech in New Hampshire and been the subject of a Newsweek article speculating about a run for president.

Pritzker himself hasn’t announced if he’s running for a third term as governor or might be occupied with a run for president in 2028.

But before deciding whether Pritzker should be leading the nation, there’s a basic question to consider: How has Illinois done since he took office?

Illinois’ economic growth since Pritzker took office has been the seventh worst in the nation, and the worst among the 10 most-populated states. Other measures of the state economy are also disappointing.

Economic growth trailed the nation

Illinois’ economic growth trailed the nation during Pritzker’s tenure, ranking 44th for percentage growth in state gross domestic product. Illinois’ GDP grew by 30.6% between 2018 and 2024 without adjusting for inflation, ranking seventh worst in the nation.

Illinois’ GDP growth trailed neighboring states as well as the nation under Pritzker’s administration, driven in part by years of outmigration as residents left the state for lower-cost locales.

Illinois ranked No. 4 for population loss

Illinois’ population is in decline, and nearly all this decline has been the result of Illinoisans deciding to move out of the state. Illinois ranked fourth nationwide for the percentage of population lost during Pritzker’s tenure and third for the number of people choosing to move to another state.

Despite high numbers of international migration bolstering Illinois’ population and bringing in nearly 298,000 new people to the state, that population growth was offset by the more than 531,000 Illinoisans who moved out of state under Pritzker. Only New York and California lost more residents to other states.

This is essentially a vote of no confidence on the part of those 531,000 former Illinoisans. In multiple polls Illinois voters said high taxes and poor economic opportunity were their reasons for moving or wishing they could move.

Slow job growth, limited opportunity

Relative to other states, the number of new jobs created in Illinois is low – and this could be one of the reasons prime working-age people and their families are leaving. Illinois’ 4.8% unemployment rate in April was tied for the seventh highest in the nation and meant 321,693 Illinoisans needed a job. It is higher than the 4.6% unemployment rate Pritzker inherited when he took office.

The growth in payroll jobs has also been among the worst in the nation, ranking 44th in total and even worse at 46th in the nation when it comes to percentage growth in private-sector jobs. That difference matters, because the 26,300 jobs added in the private sector, which drives the state economy, has been dwarfed by 34,700 government jobs that are largely supported by taxes. Government has gotten bigger under Pritzker.

Pritzker’s record

While opportunities for Illinoisans trailed the nation under Pritzker’s leadership, state spending soared to record heights placing an even greater tax burden on residents and businesses who remain. A few of the governor’s notable accomplishments include:

• Pritzker’s proposed record $55 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026 marked a $16.7 billion increase in state spending under Pritzker.
• At least 49 new or higher taxes and fees went into effect since Pritzker took office, costing taxpayers $80 billion more.
• Illinois’ business tax climate ranking fell eight spots since Pritzker became governor, dropping from 29th to 37th in 2024.

Under Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois’ residents and businesses have struggled, often while their peers in other states have thrived. Unfortunately for the rest of the nation, if Pritzker does enter the running for president in 2028, his failing policies of taxation and high government spending could soon spread to the nation.