Online Socialists Flock to a Billionaire Governor in Illinois as Aging Icons of the Movement Fade

Some self-described socialists perched on the left wing of the Democratic Party have settled on a new hero to replace aging icons like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and that person is the multibillionaire governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker. A Twitter account titled “Socialists for Pritzker” has amassed nearly 11,000 followers over the last month. Laden with memes, the account posits Mr. Pritzker — the hotel magnate who became governor in 2019 — as a viable challenger to President Biden in 2024. “People like JB because he was a Democrat who ran on things that were very popular amongst Democrats, and then he did basically *all* of those things in office,” the account tweeted last week. “Somehow, that is rare. He delivers for the base in a way we expect from red state Govs.”With a gloss of humor, the user behind Socialists for Pritzker points to the governor’s success getting his agenda enacted in contrast to what they view as a weak and vacillating Biden administration.The account also has touted his hike of the state minimum wage to $15 by 2025, his signature on a bill guaranteeing a “fundamental right to … abortion and maternity care,” and Mr. Pritzker’s use of his personal wealth to campaign for a referendum to implement a graduated income tax in the state.Some in the national press noted the contrast between Mr. Pritzker’s and Mr. Biden’s reaction to July 4th’s mass shooting at Highland Park, Illinois, which killed seven. Mr. Biden faced criticism for making but a passing reference to the tragedy, before stating that the country has “more work to do” to solve gun violence.Mr. Pritzker, in contrast, “demanded people make politics of the moment,” Politico said.“If you are angry today, I’m here to tell you to be angry. I’m furious. I’m furious that yet more innocent lives were taken by gun violence,” he said, before calling for stricter gun control measures.It’s this sense of urgency that Socialists for Pritzker views as promising. “Americans want leadership,” they tweeted in response to the governor’s comments about the shooting.While Mr. Pritzker does not call himself a socialist in the style of Senator Sanders, does not endorse signature policies like Medicare for All, and has to contend with suspicions about his wealth, Socialists for Pritzker describes him as a “spiritual successor to Bernie” who can provide a much-needed primary challenge to Mr. Biden.“My metric is that he would be a far better president than Biden 2024, during a cycle where I think it’s clear the movement-left will have no horse,” the owner of the account tweeted this week.Bucking the trend of socialists casting billionaires as enemies, his supporters point to Mr. Pritzker’s $3.6 billion net worth not as a liability but as an asset ensuring his independence.“Because he’s a billionaire, he can’t be bought,” one follower said. “A billionaire of darkness can only be vanquished by a billionaire of light.”The responses from followers to a tweet asking what led them to “take the Pritzker pill” further illuminate his appeal:“As a socialist, I’m intrigued by the possibility of a genuine unity candidate,” one respondent said. “A moderate instead of a leftist, but one with a reputation of actually *getting* those half-loaves.”“He’s a big dude who gets progressive stuff done in a non-cringe way,” another said. “Surprisingly difficult for the modern Democratic Party.”“There’s a strong argument to be made that J.B. Pritzker is the best Illinois governor since progressive John Peter Altgeld,” a self-described democratic socialist alderman from Chicago’s 35th ward, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, said yesterday. “I might be feeling a Pritzker presidential bid.”

Online Socialists Flock to a Billionaire Governor in Illinois as Aging Icons of the Movement Fade

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