PEORIA (25News Now) – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State address Wednesday focused largely on state priorities and the governor’s proposed FY2027 budget, but a political science professor said it was also designed with November voters in mind and an eye toward the national stage.

Tari Renner, a political science professor at Wesleyan University and a former mayor of Bloomington, described Pritzker’s address and budget proposal as tactical and standard, saying the governor highlighted state wins while avoiding difficult or controversial state wins that opponents could later use against him, particularly if he were to launch a presidential campaign in 2028.

“He clearly doesn’t want Democrats, his party, to lose substantial number of seats,” said Renner. “He could be blamed for that, not that it’s his fault, but that doesn’t look good for him, it doesn’t help his agenda and it doesn’t help as he’s attempting to move to the national stage.”

Renner said Pritzker’s speech leaned more on state issues while also addressing national concerns the governor framed as impacting Illinois residents.

“He was talking about the unfortunate situations that are unprecedented for any president other than Trump in recent decades,” said Renner. “[Trump] is withholding money from state whose governors he just doesn’t like. We’ve never had Republican and Democratic presidents do that.”

During the address, Pritzker pointed to Illinois’ economic success, even as he criticized federal policy decisions affecting the state.

“Despite the headwinds, the Illinois economy has proven remarkably resilient — forging ahead on our path toward accelerating growth and expansion," said Pritzker during his address.

Renner said that the balancing act between highlighting state accomplishments while drawing contrast to federal leadership can serve as political leeway in an election year. He said the message appeared aimed not only at Springfield lawmakers but at shaping how voters view the governor and his party heading into November general election.

Additionally, Renner noted that the speech was intended to help Democrats hold seats.

Meanwhile, Renner said he did not see a strong response from former State Sen. and gubernatorial Republican candidate Darren Bailey, who could potentially face Pritzker again in November.

“[Bailey’s] press conference yesterday was a golden opportunity for him to draw his contrast with the sitting governor,” said Renner. “Essentially what he did is say Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. That’s a tagline that Ronald Reagan used in the late 70’s and early 80’s, but unlike Ronald Reagan, he didn’t provide any specifics.”

The larger political question, Renner said, is not only whether Pritzker’s approach helps him politically in Illinois, but whether it positions him as a stronger national figure, something that could depend on the size of his potential electoral victory in the fall.

In a 2025 interview with Face the Nation, Pritzker was asked if he considered a possible presidential run. Instead of confirming or denying any interest in the run, Pritzker choose to shift focus to the “bench among the Democratic Party that is really terrific.”

“I can point to governors, I can point to senators, I think there are a lot of good choices. There is no reason for us not to be thinking about all of those choices and thinking about what it is the American people really care about,” Pritzker said.

You can watch 25News – any newscast, anywhere – streaming LIVE on 25NewsNow.com, our 25News mobile app, and on our WEEK 25News SmartTV streaming app. Learn more about how you can get connected to 25News streaming live news here.

Copyright 2026 WEEK. All rights reserved.