JB Pritzker: 7 things to know about Illinois' next governor

ByDanny Tag
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
JB Pritzker: 7 things to know about Illinois' next governor
Here's what you should know about JB Pritzker before he is sworn in as the 43rd governor of Illinois on Monday, January 14.

JB Pritzker will become the 43rd governor of Illinois on Monday, January 14. His inauguration ceremony takes place at 11:30am in Springfield. Lieutenant governor-elect Juliana Stratton and other statewide officials will also be sworn in.

What you should know about JB Pritzker:

  • JB's actual name is Jay Robert Pritzker. He is an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
  • According to Forbes 400, JB is the 251st richest American with a net worth of $3.2 billion.
  • He is married to Mary Katheryn "MK" Pritzker. They have two children.
  • MK was working as an aide for Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota when she met JB.
  • JB unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 9th Congressional district in the 1998 Democratic primary.
  • In 2008, JB served as national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
  • JB spent a record $171 million of his own fortune for his 2018 election campaign for governor.