After a brief delay, Illinois' top Democrats, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, on Monday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president — joining a list of powerful Democrats on board with Harris as the nominee.
Pritzker, who had been on shortlists as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden, on Sunday praised Biden's decision to drop out of the race, but did not mention support for Harris. By Monday morning, the Democratic governor said he had spoken to Harris and told her the president's decision "came as a genuine surprise."
Pritzker's decision came after speaking with Harris on Sunday — and Harris asked directly for Pritzker's endorsement, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversation. Pritzker also tried to reach out to Harris on Monday to tell her about his endorsement.
"It's important to be thoughtful about what's next for the Democratic Party and for the country, which is why I spent hours yesterday talking to fellow leaders in our Party getting and giving input about the road to victory in November," Pritzker said in a statement on Monday.
"She represents our Party's best chance to defeat Donald Trump in November, and I will work my heart out to help her do that," the governor said.
Durbin said he is "proud to endorse" Harris and called her a "good friend."
"Our nation needs to continue moving forward with unity and not MAGA chaos," Durbin said in a statement.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign and a Democratic National Committee vice-chair, endorsed Harris on Monday morning.
"I am proud to endorse @KamalaHarris and will do everything I can to ensure she has the support needed to win," Duckworth said. "Right now, Democrats must be fully united and put ALL of our energy into preventing Trump and his MAGA allies from rolling back all the freedoms and progress we’ve made."
U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson also endorsed Harris on Monday, adding to a growing list of the state's congressional delegation who support Harris' nomination.
"She has been given the necessary experience, and the Democratic Party is in tremendous shape to take on the challenges of the 2024 presidential race," Jackson said.
Those calling for Harris to lead the ticket include Mayor Brandon Johnson, Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Rep. Delia Ramirez, Rep. Brad Schneider, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Sean Casten, Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Lauren Underwood and Rep. Mike Quigley.
The Democratic Party of Illinois, which had told delegates to "hold back from reacting publicly" on Sunday, released a full-throated endorsement on Monday: “The Democratic Party stands united in our belief that Vice President Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to lead our nation forward."
