4 minPolitics
Illinois Governor Pritzker Attacks GOP Convention in Dallas as Republicans Rally Base
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois held a counter-event in Dallas to criticize the Republican midterm convention, accusing the party of rigging elections and failing voters on costs.
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois traveled to Dallas on Wednesday to challenge the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention, urging voters to reject the GOP message as President Donald Trump and party leaders opened a two-day gathering aimed at boosting turnout ahead of November's elections.
Speaking at a Democratic National Committee-hosted news conference across the street from the American Airlines Center, Pritzker accused Republicans of offering no solutions to working families. "Voters can see through the BS that Republicans are spewing," he told reporters. "This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can't paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote."
The governor, who is seeking a third term leading Democrat-dominated Illinois and is widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, said Trump is using the convention to distract from policy failures. "Donald Trump is hoping that a flashy primetime event will make you forget that his trade war is killing costs for families at the grocery store," Pritzker said. He also cited the ongoing conflict with Iran, saying it is "killing ranchers and farmers and their way of life," and argued that Republican policies are raising the costs of health care and housing for working people.
The Republican convention comes with less than two months until the midterm elections and early voting just weeks away. Republicans are defending slim House and Senate majorities while facing energized Democratic opposition and political headwinds. The party's strategy, according to Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters, is to motivate the base and drive turnout in key races that will determine control of Congress. "We are putting the president on the ballot," Gruters said in an interview on the eve of the gathering. "That's exactly what we're doing with this midterm convention."
Pritzker leveled a sharper charge, claiming Republicans are working to "rig" the 2026 election. He argued that Trump aims to use the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail-in balloting across the country. "Republicans know that they can't win on the merits of their unpopular policies," he said. "So, they're working to rig the 2026 election." The governor warned that if Democrats do not prevail, future elections could be compromised. "If Democrats don't win, if they don't win in this election, we may not have other elections, or certainly we're going to have future elections, every single one of which will be rigged," he said.
The White House has defended Trump's executive order on mail-in voting as a "commonsense measure" aimed at ensuring secure elections. The administration has also faced scrutiny this week over other matters, including reported gifts to aides and an escalating trade dispute with Canada, though those issues were not the focus of Pritzker's remarks.
When asked by Fox News whether his Dallas appearance signaled interest in a 2028 White House bid, Pritzker deflected, saying he cares deeply about Texas politics. Standing alongside top Texas Democrats, he said, "I care a great deal about what happens in Texas. Voters everywhere in the country should care about what happens in Texas. So, I'm pleased to be here for that reason. If I can advance the cause, that's why I should stand here."
The convention marks an unusual strategy for a party not holding a presidential nominating event, with organizers framing it as a way to rally supporters ahead of critical races. Democrats, meanwhile, are using counter-programming to cast the gathering as a spectacle rather than a substantive platform.
