Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, one of the wealthiest politicians in the country, is firing back at New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s argument that billionaires shouldn’t exist.
“How much money you have doesn’t determine what your values are,” Pritzker said Sunday during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. “I’m a Democrat because I believe we’ve got to stand up for our democracy and against the MAGA Republicans who are literally trying to take away people’s rights all across this country.”
Pritzker, whose family fortune stems in part from ownership of the Hyatt Hotel chain, has an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion, according to Forbes.
His remarks were a direct response to Mamdani, a self-identified Democratic-Socialist who recently won the New York City Democratic primary. Mamdani told Meet the Press in late June: “I don’t think we should have billionaires. Frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately, what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country.”
Still, Mamdani added that he hoped to work with “everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fair for all of them.”
The contrast highlights two different paths within the Democratic Party. Mamdani’s upset victory in New York has energized the progressive wing, while Pritzker is often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential contender if Democrats seek to appeal to more moderate voters.
Income inequality, the issue at the heart of Mamdani’s critique, continues to widen. The top 1% of Americans control more than two-thirds of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom half of the population holds less than 4%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Concerns over rising costs and affordability played a major role in the 2024 presidential election.
For his part, the 60-year-old governor insists his priorities are grounded in expanding health care access and strengthening public education. Pritzker formally launched his re-election campaign this June.
