Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to smooth over tensions that emerged during Illinois‘s Democratic Senate primary.
Pritzker held a phone call with the CBC on Tuesday evening, telling the representatives it was “time to come together” following their schism over which candidates to support in the Land of Lincoln’s Senate primary, according to Politico.
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Ahead of the March 17 primary, Pritzker threw $5 million in donations behind Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s (D-IL) Senate bid, while the CBC supported Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL). Stratton ultimately won the primary with 40% of the vote — compared to Rep. Raj Krishnamoorthi’s 33% and Kelly’s 18% — while the CBC turned their frustrations to Pritzker and his primary meddling.
CBC Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) previously called Pritzker’s efforts to influence the primary “beyond frustrating for the Congressional Black Caucus,” in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
“A sitting governor shouldn’t be heavy-handing the race. Quite frankly, his behavior in this race won’t soon be forgotten by any of us,” Clarke had told the Washington Examiner.
But Tuesday’s call between the two parties seemed to have reduced the friction between the CBC and Pritzker.
“Pritzker is a politically deft politician and obviously is aware that sentiments which he read last week were probably not a good thing for any future prospects,” a source close to the CBC told Politico. “He needed to nip it in the bud and he did more than that.”
Pritzker, testing his federal influence in his state’s Senate primary, is often floated as a 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.
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Following Stratton’s victory in the Democratic primary, she will head into the general election to replace retiring five-term Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) as a favorite in the deep-blue state. Stratton will take on Republican nominee Don Tracy, an attorney and the former state Republican Party chairman, in November.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Pritzker and the CBC for comment.