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By Max Frost
Leading progressives like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani have spent the months since President Trump’s election criss-crossing the Democratic constituency, rallying against “oligarchy” and extreme wealth. As they often say, “Billionaires should not exist.”
Yet elsewhere in the party, there is a contradictory take on wealth: That a billionaire could lead the Democrats back to the White House. And that billionaire is Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois. Today, we look at his story, his record, and his money to see what it says about the trajectory of the Democratic Party.
In New York City, you can’t go very far without seeing a “Trump Tower.” In Chicago, it’s the same with “Pritzker,” a name that, like “Trump,” isn’t just on bills and executive orders, but on buildings: The Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, the Pritzker Legal Research Center at Northwestern University, the Pritzker Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago.
As The Washington Post wrote in 2003, “To be a Pritzker was to understand that the family fortune, built over the years through investments such as the Hyatt hotel chain, belonged to all.”
That fortune traces itself to the Russian Jewish immigrant Nicholas J. Pritzker, who landed in Chicago in 1881 and began building a law practice, real estate portfolio, and small businesses that laid the groundwork for his descendants’ wealth. Over the next several decades, the Pritzkers expanded aggressively into banking, manufacturing, and eventually hospitality, most famously with the founding of Hyatt Hotels in the 1950s.
The family consolidated these holdings into a vast fortune that was later divided among heirs. JB Pritzker would inherit a significant share and use the money to become a Democratic heavyweight, carrying more influence than almost anyone else in the party.
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Editor’s Note
We’d love to hear from you all on this one. What do you think of Pritzker? To our readers in Illinois, especially: Do you view his governorship in a positive or negative light? Is he the answer the Democrats need? Let us know by replying here.
Speaking of replies, we got some great emails yesterday in response to our story on Mississippi’s education comeback. We’re featuring a selection of those below.
Mallory, a southern transplant in NH wrote:
My family moved from southern MS to NH almost two years ago. Currently my kids are in 5th and 7th grades. I also sub in the school district here in NH, mostly in elementary. My kids attended one of the better school systems in MS. While the staff was mostly amazing, the facilities were terrible. My children attended an elementary school that was old and in desperate need of repair. When we toured their new school in NH, they were amazed at how clean and well maintained the bathrooms were. The bathrooms in MS were out of order many times and needed updating badly. There might be one working stall for boys on a whole hallway. They also noted how nice the gym equipment was, how big the classrooms were, how the art room was well stocked, etc…. The list of extracurriculars that are available in NH is far greater than MS. My 5th grader is learning flute and last year learned violin. Instrument instruction was not even an option in MS in their elementary school, though they did have music class. I’m so glad that the children of MS are finally getting the education that they deserve. Hopefully the people of MS realize that it takes resources to do that and will vote to fund schools properly. We had several bond measures fail in my MS district over the years to repair crumbling schools. I also know several teachers who left the profession in MS because of the dismal pay and respect they received. They could work at a local big box retail store and make more money and have less stress than being a teacher. It’s been eye opening to see what a fully funded school can offer to students that enhance their learning experience.
Liz said:
My mom is an elementary school teacher and I remember being in high school when she told me about the third grade gate testing. It’s great to see now exactly what that was for and that it’s actually working. Now, STEM classes are required by some districts to be taught by certified teachers. My mom’s school has had her teaching it for a few years after a long stint as the music teacher. Her school just brought back music classes so now children in a backwater town in Mississippi are receiving a well rounded education!
Truly an incredible thing!
And Bob chimed in:
I really feel for Alabama. Their old saying "49th in everything and thank god for Mississippi" is no longer valid.
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See you tomorrow,
Max and Max
