Pritzker selects former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as running mate

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell will be his running mate for the 2026 campaign.

Pritzker’s selection, made just days after announcing a third campaign for governor, comes from a close circle of trust in Pritzker’s administration. Mitchell previously served in the governor’s office as one of four deputy governors overseeing key projects in Pritzker’s first term.

“Christian Mitchell is a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Whether it’s transforming our clean energy future, rebuilding our infrastructure, or keeping our communities safe, Christian has been a force behind so much of our progress. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to continue delivering results for the people of Illinois.”

Mitchell, 38, will replace Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on the ticket as she seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

Mitchell comes in with hefty experience in state government and public policy. A resident of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Mitchell served three terms in the Illinois House beginning in 2013 and was executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois in 2018 before joining the governor’s office in 2019.

Lieutenant governor role

Mitchell left Pritzker’s administration in early 2023 to become vice president for civic engagement at the University of Chicago where he oversees government relations. Mitchell was appointed by Pritzker last year to an unpaid seat on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board, which oversees Navy Pier and McCormick Place. He also is a first lieutenant in the Illinois Air National Guard.

“The governor has led with courage and compassion, and together we’ve built a foundation that’s moving Illinois forward,” Mitchell said in a statement. “I’m ready to build on that progress – lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and making sure every community has the resources and opportunities they deserve. This is about delivering real results for the people of Illinois, and I’m excited to get to work.”

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Although the lieutenant governor has few constitutional responsibilities in Illinois, Pritzker has leveraged the position to task Stratton with leading key legislative initiatives and overseeing the implementation of some of his administration’s top priorities at state agencies.

If Pritzker is elected to another term, the role will hold greater importance as Pritzker considers running for president in 2028. Pritzker’s election to the presidency would require Mitchell to serve the final two years of his term.

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While keeping Mitchell’s selection under wraps, Pritzker told reporters in recent days he was looking for a running mate who was ready to immediately step into the governorship if required.

“The number one qualification is, ‘can you do the job of being governor because if you’re lieutenant governor, that may come to you,’” Pritzker said Monday.

“The second thing I think about is person who I might choose for lieutenant governor somebody who has a heart for all the people of Illinois, not just some or some specific segment of the population because we have a big, diverse state,” he said.

Deputy governor role

Deputy governors in Pritzker’s administration have a chief of staff-like role, overseeing specific policy areas and state agencies. Mitchell was in charge of environmental policy, infrastructure and public safety.

In 2020 and 2021, Mitchell oversaw the negotiations of Pritzker’s marquee climate policy – the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. It massively reformed the utility and energy industry and requires all fossil fuel power plants to close by 2045.

Mitchell was responsible for representing the governor in negotiations around the bill and was the face of the Pritzker administration as it went through the legislature.

That law, passed in the wake of a bribery scandal with Chicago’s electric utility that forced former House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign, cemented Pritzker’s reputation as a progressive on climate issues.

In the years since, energy experts and some lawmakers involved in passing the law have raised concerns that the state is at risk of missing the clean energy targets that Mitchell helped codify.

Mitchell also oversaw the implementation of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan – a $45 billion construction project to rebuild roads, bridges and other infrastructure across the state.

Recreational cannabis regulation was also Mitchell’s responsibility. Pritzker signed legislation in his first year legalizing cannabis for recreational use and setting up a series of regulations for dispensaries and new social equity requirements.

Other experience

As a state lawmaker, Mitchell was chair of the House Economic Opportunity Committee.

Mitchell also brings heavy political experience to the ticket. Democrats swept races for statewide offices in 2018 and won supermajorities in the Statehouse with Mitchell serving in a top leadership role under former party Chair Mike Madigan. He took over for Tim Mapes, Madigan’s former chief of staff who was accused of sexual harassment and is now serving time in prison for a perjury conviction.

He has also worked as an advisor on several political campaigns in Illinois, including leading Midwest polling for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

Andrew Adams contributed.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.