How JB Pritzker’s midterm investments could pay off in a 2028 White House bid

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As potential 2028 presidential candidates crisscross the country to campaign in the midterms, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is wielding an advantage that none of the others can match: his massive personal wealth.

The billionaire has funneled nearly $40 million to Democratic candidates and groups in the midterms , donating to everything from the party’s biggest super PACs to state legislative campaigns. And in the closing weeks of the election, he’s funding a $20 million effort to help Democrats push deeper into red territory in their bid to capture the House majority, a particularly ambitious play.

“This is it,” Pritzker said in an interview. “As far as I’m concerned, focusing on anything other than this election is folly for anybody in politics right now. We must win, we Democrats.”

Pritzker has long been a top donor to the Democratic Party, but his midterm giving has unfolded as he considers joining what is expected to be a crowded 2028 presidential primary — and is serving multiple political purposes.

He’s boosting Democratic campaigns in the first states on the party’s revamped 2028 primary calendar. He’s working to patch up bruised relationships inside the party that he would need for a presidential bid, particularly with the Congressional Black Caucus. And he’s become a unique force in Texas, including by giving more than $1 million to the Democratic nominee for governor, Gina Hinojosa, as her Latino allies plead for more national investment.

Pritzker, who is expected to cruise to victory in his own reelection race next month, said he understands why political observers would try to view his midterm donations as hints at his 2028 plans. But he said that would be “inaccurate” and noted his long history of political giving, estimating he has given to “virtually every state party in the country” throughout his adult life.

“This is not my first rodeo,” he said.

Other potential White House hopefuls are pouring money into the midterms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among those with their own nationally focused PACs. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York tapped her huge campaign war chest on Friday to send $1 million to Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Other potential 2028 candidates, especially Buttigieg, have sought to show their broad appeal by making regular trips to Republican-leaning areas to campaign directly alongside candidates. Pritzker has not done as many of those trips, opting instead for large party gatherings and private fundraisers. And in some races where he has donated to Democrats, their Republicans have sought to turn him into a boogeyman, portraying him as a liberal out-of-state elite.

But Pritzker, who has an estimated net worth of $4.2 billion, is in a financial league of his own.

Democrats whom Pritzker has supported say his money has made a difference in tangible and targeted ways.

In Michigan, a $500,000 donation from Pritzker to the state Democratic Party has helped fund an expansion of organizing statewide that includes 25 offices and 80 people, according to the party’s chairman, Curtis Hertel.

Hertel said he tells potential presidential candidates, “I gotta win in 2026 before I worry about 2028.” The state has a slew of hotly contested statewide races that will determine whether Democrats can remain in charge heading into another presidential election.

“If you care about ’28 and the presidency, investing in Michigan is your best option,” Hertel said.

Some of Pritzker’s giving could be especially helpful in states that will vote early in the 2028 Democratic nomination process. Pritzker gave $100,000 to a super PAC that supported Stefany Shaheen in the September primary for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. She prevailed and is poised to be heavily courted in 2028 with New Hampshire going third among early voting states.

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And in a somewhat unusual move, Pritzker’s Ready for the Fight PAC recently took over $2.8 million in ad reservations supporting New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez in his competitive reelection race, freeing up money for the House Majority PAC as it tries to play more offense. Like Michigan, New Mexico is a new addition to the early-state window, slated to hold its primary a week after New Hampshire in February 2028.

Democrats who have benefited from Pritzker’s money say he and his aides are rigorous about the investments. One said he is “not just throwing money” at Democratic causes.

“His team looks under the hood, looks for a competent staff, [asks], ‘Can he make a difference?’” the Democrat said.

In Michigan, Hertel said he met with Pritzker shortly after he became chair last year and “walked him through the organizing work that we were doing and what the impact of his dollars could be.” Hertel said they talk “on a regular basis” and he speaks with Pritzker’s staff “a lot.”

In Nevada, Pritzker aides join in on weekly strategy sessions to pass a ballot measure to create a state constitutional right to abortion. Pritzker has donated $650,000 to the campaign for the ballot measure.

“We rely on them,” said Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All. “The check is important, but having staff capacity — that’s great too.”

Pritzker’s money is also helping repair his relationship with the Congressional Black Caucus after he went against one of their members, Rep. Robin Kelly, in the Illinois Senate primary earlier this year. Pritzker instead backed his lieutenant governor — Juliana Stratton, who is also Black — and spent $10 million winning her the nomination.

After the primary, Pritzker met with CBC members, “locked hands” and promised to generally help them grow their ranks in the midterms, according to a source familiar with his interactions with the caucus.

“He’s followed through on that commitment in areas that really matter to the caucus,” the source said, pointing to how Pritzker’s Ready for the Fight PAC is spending for Chris Jones in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District, Shomari Figures in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District and Justin Pearson in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District.

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Yet the source cautioned that Pritzker is just one of many potential presidential candidates who are already courting the caucus ahead of 2028.

Asked about Pritzker’s midterm donations, Rep. Joyce Beatty, a CBC member from Ohio who previously chaired the caucus, echoed a sentiment she shared after the Illinois primary.

“The Democratic candidate for president that prevails has to go through the CBC,” she said, calling the group “very strategic.”

Pritzker said he and his staff remain in touch with CBC leaders, as well as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the major party committees. He said he was trying to use Ready for the Fight PAC to “to make sure that we’re kind of broadening the battlefield, forcing Republicans to pull resources away from those mainline races.”

“We might turn this into a 30- or 35- or 40-seat win in the House, and that’s not to mention this could be 52 or 53 seats for Democratic senators,” Pritzker said. “And then we’ve got to do everything we can to support Black candidates, particularly post-the terrible voting rights decision that was made by the Supreme Court.”

Jones’ race has become especially exciting to Black Democrats as he gains momentum against GOP Rep. French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, in a solidly red district in Arkansas. Jones has also been endorsed by other potential 2028 candidates, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Buttigieg.

A Democrat working on some of the House races that Ready for the Fight PAC is targeting said they all have “huge minority populations” that are important for Democrats to figure out how to turn out more reliably in off-year elections. “All of these are winnable with additional resources,” the Democrat said.

In some House races, Republican candidates have sought to make Pritzker’s financial backing a political liability. After Ready for the Fight PAC began spending in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, the Republican candidate, Greg Cunningham, released a statement saying that the “liberal billionaire governor of Illinois is coming to Gabe Vasquez’s rescue because they share the same far left values.”

Pritzker has been especially focused on Texas, where he has built a unique relationship with state Democratic lawmakers after hosting them in Illinois during a quorum break last year. He has made four trips to the state this cycle, most recently leading a news conference responding to the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas.

The delegate-rich state is not part of the early voting window but usually holds its primary days later in early March.

The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Kendall Scudder, said Pritzker’s $100,000 donation to the party is helping fund its voter protection program. But Scudder said he was most grateful for the “time and effort” that Pritkzer has taken to getting to know Texas Democrats, who’ve long fashioned themselves as scrappy red-state underdogs.

“You’ve got to throw down and fight back and not play it safe. He gets that,” Scudder said.

Pritzker’s money has been especially closely watched in the Texas governor’s race.

Pritzker first donated $200,000 to Hinojosa’s gubernatorial campaign on September 18, about two weeks after dozens of Latino leaders sent Beshear, the Democratic Governors Association chairman, a letter asking him to invest $10 million in the race. While Beshear has resisted that larger sum, he spoke with Hinojosa on September 29 and told her the DGA would commit $1 million to the race, according to two sources familiar with the conversation. Pritzker has since announced donating another $1 million to Hinojosa.

“Once [Pritzker] showed he believed in us, it helped open the door for a lot of other people to believe in us,” said Rebecca Katz, a Democratic strategist working for Hinojosa.

Pritzker downplayed any tensions with Beshear over the contest.

“Let’s not overlook this race is all I would say,” he said. “It’s not about the DGA. It’s about Democratic givers broadly recognizing the opportunity here.”

亚瑟·马奥雷拉/芝加哥论坛报/论坛新闻服务/盖蒂图片社

随着 2028 年总统大选的潜在候选人奔走全国各地参加中期选举，伊利诺伊州州长 JB Pritzker 拥有其他候选人无法匹敌的优势：他庞大的个人财富。

这位亿万富翁已向民主党候选人和团体投入了近4000万美元，用于支持中期选举，捐款对象涵盖了从该党最大的超级政治行动委员会到州议会竞选的方方面面。在选举的最后几周，他又斥资2000万美元，帮助民主党进一步深入共和党传统票仓，力图夺取众议院多数席位，这是一项雄心勃勃的计划。

“就是这样了，”普里茨克在一次采访中说道。“在我看来，现在任何从政的人，把注意力放在这次选举之外的任何事情上都是愚蠢的。我们民主党人必须赢。”

普里茨克长期以来一直是民主党的主要捐助者，但他的中期选举捐款是在他考虑加入预计竞争激烈的 2028 年总统初选之际进行的——并且服务于多种政治目的。

他正在为民主党在2028年党内初选日程调整后的首批几个州的竞选活动提供支持。他正努力修复党内因竞选总统而产生的裂痕，尤其是在国会黑人议员团中。他已成为德克萨斯州一股独特的政治力量，包括向民主党州长候选人吉娜·伊诺霍萨捐赠超过100万美元，而伊诺霍萨的拉丁裔盟友则呼吁加大全国范围内的投资。

预计普里茨克将在下个月的连任竞选中轻松获胜。他表示，他理解政治观察人士为何会试图将他中期选举的捐款解读为他2028年计划的暗示。但他表示这种解读“并不准确”，并指出他长期以来一直热衷于政治捐赠，据估计，在他成年后的生活中，他几乎向“全国所有州的政党”都捐过款。

“这并非我第一次参加这种活动，”他说。

其他潜在的白宫候选人也在为中期选举投入巨资。加州州长加文·纽森、肯塔基州州长安迪·贝希尔和前交通部长皮特·布蒂吉格等人都拥有各自的全国性政治行动委员会（PAC）。纽约州众议员亚历山大·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯周五动用其庞大的竞选资金，向密歇根州参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德捐赠了100万美元。

其他潜在的2028年总统候选人，尤其是布蒂吉格，都试图通过定期前往共和党倾向地区与候选人并肩竞选来展现其广泛的吸引力。普里茨克则较少进行此类访问，而是选择参加大型党内集会和私人筹款活动。在一些他曾向民主党捐款的选区，共和党人试图将他妖魔化，把他描绘成来自外州的自由派精英。

但据估计净资产达 42 亿美元的普利兹克，其财富水平独树一帜。

普里茨克支持的民主党人表示，他的资金以切实有效的方式发挥了作用。

据密歇根州民主党主席柯蒂斯·赫特尔称，普里茨克向该州民主党捐赠的 50 万美元帮助资助了全州范围内的组织扩张，其中包括 25 个办事处和 80 名员工。

赫特尔说，他会告诉潜在的总统候选人：“我必须先赢得2026年大选，才能考虑2028年。”该州有一系列竞争激烈的全州性选举，这些选举将决定民主党能否在下一次总统选举前继续执政。

赫特尔说：“如果你关心2028年的总统大选，那么投资密歇根州是你的最佳选择。”

普里茨克的部分捐款可能对那些在2028年民主党总统候选人提名过程中提前投票的州尤为重要。普里茨克曾向一个支持斯蒂芬妮·沙欣参加9月新罕布什尔州第一国会选区初选的超级政治行动委员会捐赠了10万美元。沙欣最终胜出，由于新罕布什尔州是提前投票的州之一，她有望在2028年大选中成为各党派争相拉拢的对象。

约瑟夫·普雷齐奥索/法新社/盖蒂图片社

普里茨克的“准备战斗”政治行动委员会（Ready for the Fight PAC）近期采取了一项略显不同寻常的举措，斥资280万美元预订广告，支持新墨西哥州众议员加布·瓦斯奎兹（Gabe Vasquez）的连任竞选，此举为众议院多数党政治行动委员会（House Majority PAC）腾出了资金，使其能够采取更积极的竞选策略。与密歇根州一样，新墨西哥州也是早期初选州之一，计划于2028年2月在新罕布什尔州初选一周后举行初选。

受益于普利兹克捐款的民主党人士表示，他和他的助手们在投资方面非常谨慎。一位人士称，他“并非只是随意地把钱砸向”民主党的事业。

这位民主党人说：“他的团队会深入了解情况，寻找称职的员工，然后问：‘他能带来改变吗？’”

赫特尔表示，去年普里茨克就任主席后不久，他就与普里茨克会面，并“向他详细介绍了我们正在进行的组织工作以及他的资金能产生的影响”。赫特尔说，他们“定期”交谈，他也“经常”与普里茨克的幕僚沟通。

在内华达州，普里茨克的助手们每周都会参加策略会议，力求通过一项旨在将堕胎权写入州宪法的投票提案。普里茨克已向该提案的宣传活动捐赠了65万美元。

“我们依赖他们，”人人享有生殖自由组织主席米妮·蒂玛拉朱说。“核查很重要，但拥有足够的人手也同样重要。”

今年早些时候，普里茨克在伊利诺伊州参议员初选中与国会黑人议员团成员罗宾·凯利（Robin Kelly）竞争，之后普里茨克的资金也帮助他修复了与该议员团的关系。普里茨克转而支持他的副州长——同样是黑人的朱莉安娜·斯特拉顿（Juliana Stratton），并花费1000万美元帮助她赢得了提名。

据一位熟悉普里茨克与国会黑人议员团互动情况的消息人士透露，初选结束后，普里茨克与国会黑人议员团成员会面，握手言和，并承诺在中期选举中帮助他们扩大队伍。

“他在对党团会议真正重要的领域履行了这一承诺，”消息人士说，并指出普里茨克的“准备战斗”政治行动委员会正在为阿肯色州第二国会选区的克里斯·琼斯、阿拉巴马州第二国会选区的肖马里·菲格斯和田纳西州第九国会选区的贾斯汀·皮尔森花钱。

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但消息人士提醒说，普里茨克只是众多潜在总统候选人之一，他们已经在为 2028 年大选争取党团会议的支持。

当被问及普里茨克在中期选举中的捐款时，来自俄亥俄州的国会黑人议员团成员、曾担任该党团主席的乔伊斯·比蒂众议员表达了她在伊利诺伊州初选后所表达的观点。

“民主党总统候选人最终胜出，必须经过国会黑人议员团的审查，”她说道，并称该组织“非常具有战略意义”。

普里茨克表示，他和他的团队与国会黑人议员团（CBC）的领导人、国会西班牙裔党团以及各主要政党委员会保持着联系。他说，他正试图利用“准备战斗”政治行动委员会（Ready for the Fight PAC）“确保我们能够扩大战场，迫使共和党人将资源从那些主要选区撤出”。

“我们或许能在众议院赢得30、35甚至40个席位，更不用说民主党在参议院可能还会赢得52或53个席位，”普里茨克说。“然后，我们必须尽一切努力支持黑人候选人，尤其是在最高法院做出那项糟糕的投票权裁决之后。”

琼斯的竞选对黑人民主党人来说尤其令人兴奋，因为他在阿肯色州一个共和党占绝对优势的选区，正与众议院金融服务委员会主席、共和党众议员弗伦奇·希尔展开激烈角逐。琼斯还获得了其他一些2028年总统候选人的支持，包括前副总统卡马拉·哈里斯和布蒂吉格。

一位参与“准备战斗”政治行动委员会重点关注的众议院席位竞选活动的民主党人士表示，这些席位都拥有“庞大的少数族裔人口”，这对民主党来说至关重要，因为他们需要弄清楚如何在非选举年提高少数族裔的投票率。“只要投入更多资源，所有这些席位都有可能赢得胜利，”这位民主党人士说道。

在一些众议院选举中，共和党候选人试图将普里茨克的财政支持转化为政治包袱。在“准备战斗”政治行动委员会开始在新墨西哥州第二国会选区投入资金后，共和党候选人格雷格·坎宁安发表声明称，“伊利诺伊州这位自由派亿万富翁州长之所以出手相助加布·瓦斯奎兹，是因为他们拥有相同的极左价值观。”

普里茨克尤其关注德克萨斯州，去年在伊利诺伊州议会休会期间，他曾接待过该州民主党议员，并与他们建立了独特的联系。本届选举周期，他已四次访问德克萨斯州，最近一次是在达拉斯举行的共和党中期选举大会上，主持了一场新闻发布会。

这个拥有大量代表的州不属于提前投票窗口期，而是通常在 3 月初晚些时候举行初选。

德克萨斯州民主党主席肯德尔·斯卡德表示，普里茨克向该党捐赠的10万美元将用于资助其选民保护项目。但斯卡德也表示，他最感激的是普里茨克花费“时间和精力”去了解德克萨斯州的民主党人，这些民主党人长期以来一直把自己塑造成顽强不屈的“红色州”弱势群体。

“你必须奋起反击，不能畏首畏尾。他明白这一点，”斯卡德说。

在德克萨斯州州长竞选中，普里茨克的资金动向尤其受到密切关注。

普里茨克于9月18日首次向希诺霍萨的州长竞选捐款20万美元。大约两周前，数十位拉丁裔领袖联名致信民主党州长协会主席贝希尔，请求他为这场竞选投入1000万美元。虽然贝希尔拒绝了这笔巨额捐款，但据两位知情人士透露，他于9月29日与希诺霍萨通话，并告知她民主党州长协会将为这场竞选投入100万美元。此后，普里茨克宣布再向希诺霍萨捐赠100万美元。

“普里茨克一旦表明他相信我们，就有助于打开一扇门，让更多的人相信我们，”为希诺霍萨工作的民主党策略师丽贝卡·卡茨说。

普里茨克淡化了与贝希尔之间因这场竞争而产生的任何紧张关系。

“我只想说，我们不要忽视这场选举，”他说。“这无关乎民主党州长协会，而是关乎广大民主党捐款人是否认识到这次选举的机会。”