Billionaire Illinois Dem Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday ripped socialist New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani’s contention that people of his net worth shouldn’t exist.
“Look, how much money you have doesn’t determine what your values are,” Pritzker fired back on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Mamdani had declared shortly after his shock Democratic primary win in June that he that he doesn’t want Americans to be allowed to amass billion-dollar fortunes.
“I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,” he told “Meet the Press” at the time.
But Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, Sunday rattled off his beliefs in universal healthcare, free public education, democracy and opposition to “MAGA Republicans” as evidence that he is a legit Democrat.
“It does not matter what your income level is. What matters is what your values are. And that’s what makes me a Democrat,” the ultra-wealthy pol contended.
Pritzker, who has led Illinois since 2019 and is one of the richest politicians in the country, has an estimated net worth of about $3.6 billion, according to Forbes.
His fortune stems almost entirely from his family’s wealth from its ownership of the Hyatt hotel chain, which was founded by his late uncle, Jay. Some of the gov’s wealth comes from other investments, such as the Pritzker Group.
The Pritzkers have been a fixture on Forbes’ “America’s Richest Families” for decades.
The Illinois Democrat has donated heavily to the party throughout the years and tapped into his deep pockets for his own runs, having spent an estimated $323 million on his two campaigns for governor.
Now he’s gearing up to seek a third term — although he hasn’t ruled out a 2028 presidential run.
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a Post request for comment.
As with many top Democrats, Pritzker has refrained from backing Mamdani outright.
The governor has meanwhile made headlines for welcoming Texas Democrats to Illinois in a bid to disrupt GOP redistricting efforts in the Lone Star State. Pritzker shrugged off Republican attacks on him for being hypocritical, given that his state has one of the most heavily gerrymandered maps in the country.
“What Texas is trying to do is, again, violate the Voting Rights Act. We didn’t,” Pritzker claimed. “We held public hearings, legislative hearings. People attended them. They spoke out. There was a map that was put out. There were actually changes made to the map.”
Democrats control 14 of Illinois’ 17 congressional seats — or 82%. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the state in November with 54% of the vote.
By comparison, Republicans have 26 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas — or 68%. President Trump won Texas in November with 56% of the vote. Trump is hoping to squeeze another five seats out of Texas through the proposed mid-decade redistricting.
Texas Democrats have held up the redistricting effort so far by fleeing the state to stop the state legislature from passing it.
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