Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is making a run for a third term in office in the 2026 primary election — a feat never before accomplished in the Lincoln state — but who did he pick to run alongside him in his historic bid for office?

With current Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton taking aim at a seat in the U.S. Senate with an endorsement from Pritzker, a name that may be familiar to some is stepping up to the plate.

Former Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell, currently vice president of civic engagement at the University of Chicago, is running alongside Pritzker for the position of lieutenant governor of Illinois.

Mitchell started his career as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side before becoming the first Black executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

He represented the 26th District in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019 before serving as deputy governor to Pritzker from 2019 to 2023. Mitchell led efforts to ban assault weapons, make Illinois a leader in clean energy and create jobs through infrastructure projects as deputy governor, according to his campaign bio.

"I was born and raised by a single mother who taught me the values of hard work and standing up for what’s right," his campaign bio says. "After being elected as a State Representative, I fought for a fairer and more equitable Illinois by standing up for a woman’s right to choose, opposing right to work laws and fighting for a new education funding system to ensure every child has access to quality schools."

In 2023, Mitchell joined the Illinois Air National Guard. His campaign bio says the decision was inspired by his grandfather’s service in the U.S. Army.

If elected as lieutenant governor, Mitchell is in a unique position to potentially make history yet again as the first Black person to serve in a specific political position — though several prerequisites must be met.

Though Pritzker has not made any formal announcements, he has raised his national profile while many rumors of his interest in a run for president have circled over the past several months.

Should Pritzker be elected to a third term in office and Mitchell become lieutenant governor, Mitchell could then become Illinois’ first Black governor in the case that Pritzker embarks on a presidential campaign.