Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Photo: Paul Goyette / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Illinois voters on Tuesday returned Gov. JB Pritzker to office for a third term, giving him a second win over Republican Darren Bailey, whom he also beat in 2022. Pritzker, a Democrat, first won the office in 2018 by defeating incumbent Bruce Rauner.
For business owners in Uptown, the next four years in Springfield will matter as much as anything at City Hall.
What owners will watch
Taxes come first. Pritzker’s attempt to replace the state’s flat income tax with a graduated rate failed with voters in 2020, and the state has since relied on other revenue sources. Property taxes, which are set locally but shaped by state rules, remain the biggest concern for owners of Uptown buildings and the tenants who pay a share through their leases.
Transit is next. Uptown depends on the Red Line, with its Wilson station rebuilt in 2018 and its Lawrence and Argyle stations rebuilt under the CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization project. The funding of the region’s transit agencies has been one of the state’s hardest budget questions, and service levels on the trains and buses that bring customers to Broadway depend on the answer.
Wages are the third issue. Under Pritzker, Illinois raised its minimum wage in stages to $15 an hour. Restaurant and retail owners have adjusted to the higher floor, and many will be watching for any further changes.
The governor’s record
During his first two terms, Pritzker legalized recreational cannabis, raised the minimum wage and expanded abortion access. In his second term he became one of the most prominent critics of the second Trump administration, which has kept him in national news.
Before entering politics, Pritzker was an investor and a member of the family that owns Hyatt. He founded 1871, the Chicago startup incubator, and chaired the city’s innovation council under Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Forbes estimated his wealth at $3.9 billion in 2025.
What comes next
The new term begins in January. A spring budget session will set the tone, and Uptown business owners will be looking for signs on transit funding and property tax relief early in the year.
Ruth Kaminski is the editor of The Uptown Ledger and covers neighborhood institutions and housing.
