CHICAGO — When Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker claimed victory Tuesday night over a vanquished Republican Darren Bailey for a second term as Illinois governor, he also presented himself as a possible 2024 candidate for the White House if President Joe Biden opts not to seek a second term.
In a speech unsparing in its attacks on the GOP with contours that went far beyond Illinois’ parochial borders, the billionaire progressive Democrat and Hyatt Hotel heir called himself a “warrior” ready to take on former Republican President Donald Trump and Trump allies in the years ahead.
“Here we are, two years into cleaning up the wreckage of Donald Trump’s presidency, poised to watch this man announce his return to national politics within days,” Pritzker said.