Pritzker helped a Black woman become senator. Some Black leaders are still mad at him.
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Congressional Black Caucus members say Governor Pritzker must answer for his role in Illinois Senate primary.
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Gov. JB Pritzker's $5 million in super PAC spending boosted Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton to victory in Illinois's Democratic Senate primary, making her one of just six Black women ever elected to the U.S. Senate, but angering Congressional Black Caucus members who backed Rep. Robin Kelly, who finished third. CBC leadership says Pritzker crossed them by tilting the race in Stratton's favor, and several members signaled they will extract a political price if he pursues a 2028 presidential bid—a path that runs directly through their endorsement and influence with Black voters. Rep. Gregory Meeks, who chairs the CBC PAC, made clear the caucus will not initiate reconciliation: "Others are going to have to reach out to us." Some Democrats are already protecting their interests with Pritzker, reaching out to secure his funding for House and Senate races, even as the broader caucus holds him at arm's length and demands he justify his actions before earning their support.
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