Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extensive out-of-state travel raises questions about whether he’s prioritizing national exposure over challenges facing Illinois. During a 12-month stretch, he averaged one out-of-state trip per month.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has flown out of the state he’s running once a month for the past year, according to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Pritzker has announced his re-election bid for a third term as governor, but he’s also opened up about his interest in a White House run. From May 2024 to May 2025, Pritzker traveled out of state 12 times.
Some out-of-state travel is necessary, such as testifying before Congress in June when asked to defend Illinois’ spending on undocumented immigrants. Other appearances are clearly focused on building his national brand, including appearances on “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
In Pritzker’s reelection video he says, “We don’t just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them.” But with so much time spent traveling out of state and abroad, how exactly has he been solving Illinois’ problems, and how would he continue to do so if national ambitions take center stage in a third term?
While Pritzker has been globetrotting, Illinois has seen sluggish economic growth, rising unemployment and a heavy reliance on government hiring while private-sector jobs decline. His poll numbers are in the negative for the first time, and Illinois voters said their biggest dissatisfaction is high taxes. Pritzker is responsible for 49 tax and fee hikes that have taken nearly $5,000 more from each Illinois family of four.
Pritzker should think about Illinois’ future as much as he thinks about his own.
