Pritzker calls Trump a 'loser' as Dems champion Harris, Walz during Governor's Day
A precursor to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, Illinois Democrats rallied in Springfield on Wednesday — vowing to again keep the Land of Lincoln blue this November.
At both the Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association brunch and Governor's Day events, elected officials and party leaders drummed up support for Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and levied attacks against Republicans up and down the ballot.
In Harris, Democrats accounted for the historical significance in having the first woman in the Oval Office. Still, they say it's the platform, advocating for nationwide abortion protections and promoting gun control, that she would strive for as president in addition to her identity that make her the best candidate.
More: Report: President Biden to make Springfield race riot site a national monument
And with national polling showing Harris moving ahead of former President Donald Trump, Democrats say the momentum is palpable.
"This is an energy that you can't buy and can't fake," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said during the morning brunch at the Bank of Springfield Center. "And that's what's driving Donald Trump bat crazy."
Democrats see Harris and Walz as unifying figures not just for the party, but for the country as a whole. It's a stark contrast to what they say Republicans would bring to the table.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, donning a "Kamala For Everybody" shirt, repeated Walz's "weird" tagline to describe former President Donald Trump and his running mate Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. For Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Republicans are in the position they are in due to their continued backing of the Trump-Vance ticket.
"It's almost if Illinois Republicans don't want Illinois families to succeed," Pritzker said. "They seem focused on other things like explaining away the 34 felony fraud convictions of Donald Trump or whitewashing the fact that JD Vance said that he hates police and wants to raise taxes on people that don't have children."
Trump attacked Pritzker Tuesday during a virtual interview on X with Tesla founder Elon Musk and called the governor a "loser." Having won his two gubernatorial elections comfortably, and noting Trump's loss in 2020 to President Joe Biden, Pritzker responded Wednesday that term doesn't apply to him.
"We’re gonna have Kamala Harris winning this race all over the country," the governor, a Harris surrogate, told reporters following his Governor's Day speech. "We know who the winners are, and Donald Trump is the loser."
While the focus has largely been on the presidential election, also at-stake are all 17 congressional seats and seats in the Illinois General Assembly. And looking to maintain if not add to its grip over Springfield, Democrats again touted their accomplishments during the first five-plus years of the Pritzker administration.
Those accomplishments — raising the minimum wage, eliminating the grocery tax and cancelling medical debt — were done without Republican support in the state legislature. The governor added that, with these 'no' votes, it's "no wonder the Illinois GOP is a super-minority party."
Illinois Democrats don't have much to fret when it comes to Harris winning the state, voters supporting the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992. The same, however, can't be said of fellow Midwest swing-states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The state party is making plans to help build a "Midwest Blue Wall," which could prove to be essential for Democrats to retain the presidency. Already, Pritzker's Think Big America pro-abortion advocacy group purchased billboard ads to run in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention last month.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 'Trump is the loser': Pritzker, Illinois Dems slam GOP, tout Harris
