Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appear to be on similar tracks, their national political aspirations tied in large part to the issue of abortion rights. 

In mid-October, Whitmer headlined a 1,300 person lunch for reproductive rights group Personal PAC. Also on hand was Pritzker, a top Personal PAC donor who announced the next day the formation of Think Big America, a nonprofit national 501(c)(4) group focused on protecting abortion rights. Months before, Whitmer launched her own PAC, named “Fight Like Hell” – reusing a phrase she employed to repeal a 1931 Michigan abortion law – aimed at raising money for Democratic candidates “unapologetic in their fight for working people and their basic freedoms” in the 2024 election. 

The lunch proved to be a bit of a love-fest between the two governors, who, experts say, are two key players to watch as contenders in the 2028 presidential election. 

“I have been immensely proud to play a small role in helping our neighbors in Midwestern states elect one of the strongest pro-choice advocates in the nation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer,” Pritzker noted at the Oct. 17 luncheon, describing her as a “true champion for working families. But does that mean a Whitmer/Pritzker ticket, a Pritzker/Whitmer ticket, or them running independently of one another.

He called himself grateful as ever for her partnership in all things, including helping us bring next year’s Democratic National Convention to the Midwest. 

“I feel so lucky to have a friend in J.B. Pritzker,” Whitmer told the crowd. “It’s inspiring to know we have a partner who stands with us in this region, and who has our backs.” 

Just weeks before, Pritzker and Whitmer also appeared together to discuss reproductive rights in New York as part of the Clinton Global Initiative’s 2023 meeting.  

In late June 2022, in the now-infamous Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court held that the United States Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, overturning Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion since 1973. 

But Illinois, and to some extent Michigan, exist as pro-choice islands in the middle of the conservative Midwest.

Illinois permits abortions to be covered by state Medicare funds, for minors to obtain abortion without parental consent, and has a shield law protecting abortion providers from investigations by other states. Planned Parenthood Illinois in August reported a 54 percent increase in people traveling from out-of-state to obtain abortions here since the Dobbs decision. 

Last year, at the urging of Whitmer, voters chose to enshrine the protection of abortion rights in Michigan’s state constitution. However, patients must wait 24 hours after counseling to obtain an abortion. Michigan also requires parental consent in order for a minor to obtain an abortion. 

“All of Illinois’ neighboring states have restrictions on abortion,” Pritzker said. “(I’ve encountered) people in deep, red Trump territory, it was mostly women who would walk up to me and they’d lean in and whisper … they would say ‘thank you so much for preserving our right to choose.’”

With most of the 2024 Presidential Election candidates in the shadow of President Biden and former President Trump, political analysts say the abortion issue, if played well, could put Democrats over the edge to win the White House in 2028.

“The two could argue to a Democratic constituency that they protected the right to choose and championed the cause of making their state accessible to women from other states,” said David Yepsen, a political analyst and the former longtime director of Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. 

While Yepsen noted, “you don’t know where this issue is going to be in a year, or four years out. Right now it does appear that the reproductive rights issue is a great balancer against the blue-collar voters who have left the Democratic Party and vote for Trump.” 

It also may drive younger people to the polls who have neglected to vote in past years. “One way to do that is to nominate candidates with bona-fide records on reproductive rights,” Yepsen said. 

But does that mean a Whitmer ticket, a Pritzker ticket, or perhaps, a Whitmer/Pritzker ticket? 

A combo ticket, Yepsen said, “strikes me as too midwestern. The Democratic party in 2028 is going to draw from around the country. You’ll need other votes. …I think they would both operate independently.” 

And yet, both candidates' public support for one another enhances the likelihood of seeing either Whitmer or Pritzker in the White House. 

“If you’re going to run for president, you’ve gotta have money,” Yepsen said. “Campaigns don’t quit, they usually run out of money.” 

Note: Lester Kasper is a member of the Personal PAC board.

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