JB Pritzker wins historic third term as Illinois governor

The intrigue: Pritzker becomes the first Illinois governor since Republican Jim Thompson to win a third term — and the first Democrat to do so.

• Thompson won his third term in 1982 and served a record 14 years.

Follow the money: Pritzker outspent Bailey by millions of dollars, advertising heavily while also directing campaign funds to Democratic organizations and candidates across the country.

• Those contributions have fueled speculation about Pritzker's presidential ambitions, a theme Bailey tried to use against him during the campaign.

The Trump factor: President Trump endorsed Bailey despite Pritzker's commanding lead in the polls.

• Pritzker's campaign tied Bailey closely to Trump, who lost Illinois by double digits in three presidential elections.
• The governor also used the campaign to criticize Trump's policies, reinforcing his position as one of the president's most outspoken Democratic opponents.

The big picture: Illinois will also have a new lieutenant governor. Christian Mitchell, Pritzker's running mate, will replace Juliana Stratton, who is also expected to win her bid for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile: Bailey has now lost two gubernatorial elections and a congressional primary since 2022. It's unclear whether the downstate farmer will seek public office again.

• His running mate, Aaron Del Mar, could remain a prominent figure in Illinois Republican politics.

The bottom line: Illinois voters have given Pritzker another four years in Springfield. The question now is whether he'll spend all four of them there.