JB
Pritzker

WTTW planned a governor-candidate forum for October 13 featuring Pritzker and Bailey. Independent Corbett objected to exclusion; WTTW's reported threshold was 15% in an independent poll, and Corbett's 6% fell below that.

Capitol News Illinois reported that Pritzker had put $90.5 million into his campaign this cycle and described his spending as uncontested to that point.

Capitol News Illinois reported that nearly all major political handicappers rated the Pritzker–Bailey race as solid Democratic as of October 9, 2026.

PBS reported that Pritzker's team said he had contributed $38 million to Democrats' midterm efforts, including roughly $20 million through his Ready for the Fight PAC. This was national party spending, not spending on his Illinois governor campaign.

In an early-October interview reported Oct. 9, Pritzker said a third term would focus on balancing the state budget, reducing the structural deficit, completing universal preschool possibly by 2027 or 2028, addressing data center and AI impacts on utility bills, and attracting more nuclear power to Illinois.

Following Durkin's endorsement of Pritzker, Bailey's campaign and Illinois Republican figures criticized Durkin for supporting the Democratic incumbent rather than the Republican nominee.

Durkin said he served with Bailey in Springfield and knew what he was and wasn't capable of. Pritzker said he was glad to have Durkin's support while acknowledging they had disagreed on many issues.

A Public Policy Poll for Chicago News Weekly conducted Sept. 30–Oct. 1 found Pritzker at 54%, Bailey at 34%, and Corbett at 6%—a 20-point Pritzker lead. The poll included 569 Illinois voters and was conducted by phone and text.

CBS Chicago coverage identified Pritzker (paired with running mate Christian Mitchell), Republican Darren Bailey, and independent Collin Corbett as the three candidates for governor on the November 3 ballot.

The Illinois Federation of Public Employees Local 4408 endorsed Pritzker and Mitchell, according to Politico's Illinois Playbook.

Pritzker said he was not pursuing a moratorium on new data centers but wanted lawmakers to pass regulations after the election. He pointed to a June decision to pause tax incentives and said he wanted communities to have a say and residents protected from higher power bills.

Politico reported that a new PAC chaired by Pritzker, Ready for the Fight, planned to spend at least $20 million to help Democratic House candidates nationally.

Politico reported that Pritzker spoke publicly about losing 80 pounds with a GLP-1 medication. The report described this as a personal disclosure and not a campaign policy issue.

The Sierra Club Political Action Committee endorsed the Pritzker–Mitchell ticket, according to Politico's Illinois Playbook.