CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was all smiles Friday afternoon as he prepared for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
He has some concerns for the coming week.
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“I think we have protesters; that happens every four years, let’s be honest, at every convention,” he said. “So I think that’s not really what’s giving me sleepless nights. I think my only concern is that the event itself goes well and that people know they’re safe.”
The governor is confident in the security plan and that the Chicago police are ready.
“This time we have very well-trained people,” he said. “They were trained, by the way, at the Republican convention. They’ve all been there, heard what happened there, and I think they came here very well-equipped to handle any situation that might arise.”
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Chicago police unveiled their new helicopter on Friday, which will play a key role in monitoring demonstrations and other potential problems during the DNC.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of this helicopter to our public safety efforts during the DNC and in the years to come,” said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling.
The Democrats have had a particularly unpredictable election season and the party convention was highly anticipated. Can it live up to expectations?
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“Oh man. Well, I have to say, if you look at the enthusiasm of the Democratic Party, and frankly, people across the United States, independents and Republicans, for the Harris-Waltz ticket, you’re going to see that enthusiasm continue throughout the campaign,” Pritzker said.
However, the governor still expects the election to be close.
“It will be a tough fight. We know that the country is divided and that the contested states are divided, and the battle is very close in all of them,” he said.
Pritzker was one of the candidates on the shortlist for Kamala Harris’s running mate and has often been mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate. Will he be the same in four or eight years?
“I will always be someone who supports Democrats and is involved in public policy. I did that for decades before I became governor, so you can imagine I will continue to do a lot of what I have done so far, but I don’t know whether I will seek public office or not,” he said.
Pritzker hopes people leave the DNC feeling good about their candidates and the city of Chicago.
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