Gov. J.B. Pritzker is among dozens of Democratic governors who will speak with President Joe Biden on Wednesday about the status of his presidential campaign after an abysmal debate performance.
The call was requested by multiple governors during a Monday evening call arranged by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Most of the conversation centered on a key question: Why hadn’t the governors, many of whom are serving as Biden campaign delegates and key messengers in critical states, heard from him since last week’s debate?
The Monday call also centered on where the presidential race stands and what the governors are concerned about in their respective states, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call. There are growing calls for Biden to step down — but the campaign has insisted there are no plans for him to drop out.
“Everyone was like, oh, we haven’t heard from the president. Seems like we should have heard from him now, considering we’re all big messengers,” the source said. “There was a lot of, ‘Have you heard from him? No, I haven’t.'”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who spent time with Biden at a fundraiser in his home on Saturday, was an exception.
Vice President Kamala Harris was offered up as an option — but many governors insisted upon hearing from Biden himself. Pritzker “mostly listened” during the Monday call, the source said.
According to Pritzker’s team, the governor, who is on some shortlists as a potential Democratic presidential replacement, hasn’t heard from Biden since the debate and plans to attend the Wednesday call virtually. He has also not made any efforts to reach out to the president. Pritzker was attending a Biden fundraiser in Los Angeles with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear during the debate.
Since then, he has held a relatively quiet public schedule. On Sunday, Pritzker attended the Chicago Pride Parade, and on Tuesday, he plans to appear on CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” for an appearance that was scheduled before the June 27 presidential debate, which has set off alarms across the country.
Pritzker, who has presidential ambitions of his own, has been a fierce Biden ally and helped bring the Democratic National Convention to Chicago. But his name has also appeared in national polling as an alternative to both Biden and Harris. Whitmer, Beshear and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are also seen as options. But bypassing Harris is viewed as a politically unpopular move, especially as Biden struggles in polling with young Black voters.
Pritzker is seen as a viable candidate by some Democrats because of his ability to self-fund and because he has fiercely criticized former President Donald Trump’s policies and political attacks since his first gubernatorial campaign began in 2017. Pritzker, the heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune and an entrepreneur, has poured $323 million into his two campaigns. He’s also contributed millions to Democratic causes and candidates.
But for now, the Illinois governor has not joined a chorus of Democratic lawmakers who are publicly voicing concerns over Biden as the Democrats’ presidential candidate. After the debate, Pritzker released a statement that ignored Biden’s performance: “The contrast between these two men was clear before the debate — it is even clearer now.”
Still, there are trickles of criticism coming from Democrats, including in Illinois. U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill, on Tuesday told CNN’s Kasie Hunt that debate night “wasn’t just a horrible night” and warned that his performance could impact down-ballot races.
“I think what I’m stressing is it has to be his decision. That we have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn’t just a horrible night. But I won’t go beyond that out of my respect and understanding of President Joe Biden, a very proud person who served us extraordinarily well for 50 years,” Quigley said. “But it’s his decision. I just want him to appreciate at this time, just how much it impacts not just his race, but all the other races coming in November.”