4.95%
Illinois individual income tax rate
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's record
DangerousJ.B.
Too expensive for Illinois. Too focused on the next job. Too many contradictions.
Playing dress up for late night TV
Higher costs /// Broken promises /// Bigger ambitions /// Illinois pays
The bottom line / 01
His record tells a different story.
J.B. Pritzker talks a big game about helping working families. But from rising costs to blocked reforms and national ambitions, his contradictions add up.
Your wallet / 02
Illinois can't afford J.B.
While J.B. jets around and meets with national donors, Illinois families face some of the highest costs in America.
Property taxes, gas taxes, groceries: Illinois families feel the pressure. Review the 2026 tax data.
1.88%
Effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing
66.4¢
Illinois gas tax per gallon in 2026
38th
2026 state tax competitiveness ranking
"I've made my position clear: I want to be helpful to the country."J.B. Pritzker, while reportedly planning his 2028 presidential campaign
Power first / 03
Sought a political appointment.
Associated Press reported that 2008 FBI wiretaps captured Pritzker discussing a possible appointment to a top Illinois state job with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The reporting does not establish that Pritzker sought Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Read the AP account.
Follow the trail / 04
A record that points away from Illinois.
01
Fair maps?
NPR Illinois reported that his 2018 pledge to veto politician-drawn maps shifted in office to a promise to veto only maps he considered unfair.
02
National donor.
Millions spent nationwide have built political capital and relationships well beyond the job Illinois elected him to do.
03
Out of state.
NBC News reported preliminary fundraising discussions for a possible 2028 presidential run. Pritzker has not announced a presidential campaign.
J.B. Pritzker questions / 05
The record, answered and sourced.
Direct answers to common questions about Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, state taxes, redistricting, the Blagojevich wiretap, and 2028 presidential speculation.
Who is J.B. Pritzker?
J.B. Pritzker is the 43rd governor of Illinois. The Democrat was first elected in 2018, took office in January 2019, and won reelection in 2022.
What are Illinois tax rates under Gov. J.B. Pritzker?
Tax Foundation reports that Illinois has a 4.95% individual income tax rate, a 1.88% effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing, and a 66.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax in 2026.
Did J.B. Pritzker promise fair legislative maps?
NPR Illinois reported that candidate Pritzker pledged in 2018 to veto legislative maps drawn by lawmakers, party leaders, or their staffs. In 2021, he instead said he would veto maps he considered unfair.
Is J.B. Pritzker running for president in 2028?
Pritzker has not announced a 2028 presidential campaign. NBC News reported in May 2026 that preliminary discussions and outreach to national fundraising operatives had occurred while his campaign said he remained focused on reelection as governor.
What did the Blagojevich wiretap reveal about J.B. Pritzker?
Associated Press reported that 2008 FBI recordings captured Pritzker discussing a possible appointment to a top Illinois state job with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The reporting does not establish that Pritzker sought Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
Primary and reported sources
- Office of the Governor: J.B. Pritzker biography
- Tax Foundation: 2026 Illinois tax rates and rankings
- NPR Illinois: Pritzker's 2018 fair-maps pledge
- Associated Press: Pritzker and Blagojevich wiretap reporting
- NBC News: possible J.B. Pritzker 2028 planning
Last reviewed July 28, 2026
The choice is clear
Dangerous J.B. is too expensive for Illinois.
His contradictions on fair maps. His role in making Illinois unaffordable. His presidential ambitions. It all adds up.
Review the record againNot paid for by any campaign. Just a grassroots group of Illinoisans fed up with one-party rule.