Gov. JB Pritzker announced he will seek a third term Thursday morning in Chicago, saying he’s running to protect Illinois from the “chaos and craziness” in Washington, D.C.  

Pritzker made his announcement at Chicago’s Grand Crossing Park Fieldhouse, where he first announced his campaign in 2017.  

The governor used the speech to reminisce on his two terms in office, particularly emphasizing work done to recover the state’s economic status after the budget impasse, as well as progressive policies passed such as the assault weapons ban.  

Pritzker said he feels his administration has addressed many of the challenges faced by the state when he took office, but said he doesn’t feel his work is finished.  

“I ran for governor in 2018 to change our story,” he said. “I ran for governor in 2022 to keep telling our story, and I am running for governor in 2026 to protect our story.”  

Pritzker said there’s a need for action to address rising challenges caused by artificial intelligence and improve the economy for the working class.   

“We must reckon with the fact that everything is too damned expensive, from groceries to concert tickets to mortgages to cars to health care,” he said. “We have created a world where one job isn't enough to raise kids, one salary not enough to own a home, and one lifetime of work, not enough to earn retirement.”  

Pritzker did not mention President Donald Trump by name in his speech, instead referring to him as the “megalomaniac narcissist in the White House and his malignant clown car in Congress.”   

He addressed Trump’s tariffs and proposed cuts to Medicaid, saying they were not the answer to economic challenges faced by the country. 

It’s a sentiment continued from a campaign ad posted Thursday morning, where Pritzker positioned himself as a candidate to combat Trump’s policies, saying “I’m not about to stand by and let him tear down all we’re building in Illinois.”   

Illinois does not have term limits for governors, although runs for a third term are rare. The last was former Gov. Jim Thompson, who ultimately served four terms from 1977 to 1991.   

No Democratic challengers have stepped up to face Pritzker in the primary. He had one primary challenge in 2022, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs nurse Beverly Miles.   

For the Republican primary DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Posen Park District Comm. Phil Perez and former congressional candidate Joseph Severino have announced their intentions to run.   

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) has also been floated as a possible Republican nominee for governor.  

Pritzker himself is believed to be eyeing a run for president in 2028, meaning his third term as governor could potentially be cut short. With Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton running for U.S. Senate, Pritzker will need to pick a new running mate, one who could step up if he needs to step down.