>> Just over an hour ago, our Nic Blumberg sat down with Governor JB Pritzker and his running mate Christian Mitchell at the Hilton.

Chicago.

They talked about yesterday's election results and looked ahead to the upcoming general election campaign.

Nick began by asking the governor how he feels about a rematch with Republican Darren Bailey.

>> I am.

I've been traveling the state, of course, for 9 years since I started running 2 terms ago and and believe strongly that we've got act like and take care of Illinois like it's one state gets one, Illinois, lot of interest.

A lot of concerns across the state.

If you're a farmer, Donald Trump's tariffs are tearing your farm apart and frankly bankrupting people.

If you're a retailer, the fact that we've got a challenge importing to this country because of Donald Trump's policies is tearing the country apart and making your life more miserable, taking health care away from families and making it more expensive.

That's something we've got to push back on.

And again, these are challenges that people face sometimes Alexander County, sometimes in the coupe in county, sometimes Rock Island County, Orr in Cook County.

We have real challenges.

And I think whoever the governor is at any time in our history has to be somebody that can understand the challenges of the entire state of Illinois.

As you know, Darren Bailey has called Chicago a hellhole.

And although he would like now to change his messaging, he has not changed.

Is on anything?

He still aligns himself with Donald Trump still thinks it's OK to take away people's health care still thinks we ought to lower the minimum wage in the state of Illinois.

So I have to say that what he is proposing to do.

Forget about how he wants to change is messages.

What he is proposing to do is bad for the people of our state and JB.

And I both believe you've got to show up for people in.

You've got to go everywhere to meet them again.

Just in the past couple weeks have been Woodford County Crawford County.

I've been to a bunch of other counties across the state.

Yes, we're both from Chicago, but I as a state representative always at the state in my title.

>> Very seriously.

When I talk to people there concerned about the price of beef, the price of eggs, the price of fuel.

Now that we're in another entanglement in the Middle East and they want leaders who are going to stand up for them, lower their costs, raise their wages.

When I talk to folks who represent rural hospitals that deeply concerned about the cuts in the big ugly bill and what that's going to mean for their neighborhoods.

And so when myself and JB talk to these folks, they want people who are going to fight for them and create solutions.

Been a really care where they're from.

>> Governor, you gave your enthusiastic support to the current Lieutenant Governor.

Juliana Stratton had a big night last night.

You faced questions from some within your party, though, including the Congressional Black Caucus about getting involved in a contested Senate primary, giving concerns about mending fences.

Now that the primaries behind us.

>> You know, I get it.

Primaries are tough in people, Democrats take sides in primaries, even though basically we all agree on the issues and there were people who supported Robin Kelly who are in the Congressional Black Caucus.

They wanted her to win.

They would have preferred if I had supported her.

You know what?

Julianna Stratton was the best person for the job.

I've known her for 9 years where not only friends, but I trust her to fight for the people of the state of Illinois.

She's a genuine person.

And I believe that's very important in this environment that we're in.

so I chose to support her and were all going to come back together to after the primary.

This is what Democrats do.

We unite.

The Republicans do not.

And I think we're seeing that today at their what they're calling a unity breakfast turned out not to be so unified.

>> This is the most significant turnover we've seen in the Illinois delegation in many years.

Are you confident the state will still be well represented on Capitol Hill with more junior members of the delegation?

>> You know, the only challenge about having more junior members is you lose the seniority that sometimes gets more immediately.

A chairmanship of a committee which can be very beneficial for state.

Meanwhile, you know what?

We need more young people and younger people representing us in Washington.

Some of the absolute best ideas for our state come from a younger generation and particularly young people show.

I'm I'm pleased that, you know, there's some turnover.

I think we all agree that, you know, that that at some point in people's lives, you know, they don't need to stay in Congress.

So the fact that we had a number of retirements people vacating their offices and there are new people running, I think invigorates the state and brings those new generation messages to Washington on our behalf.

Obviously a very contested primary here.

You know, a lot of Democrats worry about the millions that.

>> You corporations, special interests spend on elections, including can can weaken democracy.

U, of course, contributed to a super PAC that supported Lieutenant Governor Stratton.

Does that at all complicate your own efforts to protect democracy is has been one of your big message.

Is this last?

You know, my complaint about all the money that came in and those campaigns is that special interests.

>> That had a profit motive or some peculiar specific issue that they were trying to drive into a campaign that they're they're getting all of the oxygen in the room, so to speak.

Instead of like the whole person.

Is that the right person for the job?

Will they consider things in the way that I hope that they will?

Can we trust them?

That doesn't get shouldn't get determined anyway by special interests.

I support candidates that I believe will be best for the state and I think that we had to get the corporate money out.

I think we get a stop citizens United.

I think we ought to stop all the special interests and instead it ought to be about individual supporting other individuals.

Mr.

Mitchell should.

The governor leave office for any reason, including perhaps higher office?

>> You would take over as Governor de feel prepared for that challenge.

governor's always said the most important part of being Lieutenant Governor is being someone who could step in and be governor if something were to happen.

That was true of Julianna Stratton is not going to be a terrific U.S.

Senator.

>> I believe it's true of me.

I service deputy governor for 4 and a half years.

I ran a series of very complicate agencies like department Transportation, Department of Correction, our public safety portfolio, including our National Guard State Police Emergency management.

So I believe by the experience to the job, if necessary.

But most importantly, I plan to be his partner.

He laid out a very comprehensive agenda yesterday about lowering the cost of housing lowering overall costs for people in everything from energy to health care, making sure that people get the care that they need.

That's the agenda that I believe in.

That's why I wanted to join the ticket why I'm so upset about the Lieutenant Governor.

When you mention National Guard, you yourself serving the Illinois Air National Guard.

We've seen the president attempt to nationalize state controlled troops, launched a war on Iran without congressional authorization.

>> Do you believe that Congress is currently living up to its responsibility to authorize or curve military action?

Think one of the most important things and I think about this, a great deal now is somebody who's the captain, the National Guard to judge advocate who believes in the rule of law learned about it, but also who serves in a wing that is deployed folks to the Middle East.

I think the Congress has an incredibly important oversight role that they need to make sure that >> the president coming for than explaining the mission, making sure that our men and women that we send off in harm's way have all they need to come home safe and be able to do what we need them to do it with.

They can explain to the American people.

I don't know the Congress is doing that right now.

And I really hope that they will.

>> And by the way, that only Congress has the ability to declare war, not the president, the United States.

This has not been brought to the president should have brought it to the Congress.

Never did didn't do it once and oh, by the way, now are entangled in something it appears we are going to have very difficult time getting out of governor had the opportunity to speak with the mayor of Hammond, Indiana, on Monday who says any stadium deal that the Bears would get in Indiana is superior to what they would get here.

>> can.

Illinois compete with these major incentives that Indiana's considering that ship, that business would have to reside in Indiana.

That's the big problem for that.

For the Look, the fans of the Chicago Bears do not want them to leave the state of Illinois and I think they would lose.

Those are customers.

Those fans right?

>> We are customers.

If they leave the state, they will lose their customers.

I'm telling you now, no one wants to go to Hammond, Indiana to watch a game.

We want them to stay in the state of Illinois and we want them to be the Chicago Bears.

We believe in the team.

But if they're going abandon I think the fans are going to abandon that.

Meanwhile, he's wrong.

He doesn't have any idea what's been put on the table for the Chicago Bears and staying in the state of Illinois actually a huge advantage for the Chicago Bears.

Put aside that they won't lose their fans.

We are providing them significant infrastructure, which is what we would do for another business that's investing billions of dollars in our state.

We're making sure that we have the opportunity to create jobs in that area and that their things will be paid for that are helping local communities again, what is in Hammond, Indiana?

I don't think people want to be in an industrial site next to a big old manufacturing plant that's spewing things into the air.

You got to smell rotten eggs.

If you go to a game in Hammond, Indiana.

So I think the Bears know that the best place for them is the state of Illinois.

I think the bill that's going through the legislature right now is one that they support.

And I know we're just about out of time.

But it is a rarity for an Illinois governor to be elected to a 3rd term.

Are you feeling confident about your chances there?

Well, I should tell you that that I learned recently no Democrat has served 2 full terms in the governorship in so just finishing a second term would be a record in the state are Markle.

Yeah, well, I haven't gotten their yeah.

We've got a little left in this year.

But but look, my my goal isn't to set a record made.

My goal on the other hand to make sure that we're actually following through and completing some of the work that we've already done.

Balancing the budget and getting credit upgrades is a big deal for the state.

We're saving money for taxpayers.

We're being more responsible paying down debt for the state.

And if those things sound boring, too.

Well, just remember the hundreds of millions of dollars each year that we're saving as a result of being more fiscally responsible is inuring to the benefit of taxpayers were able to do more for them or provide them tax cuts like I have the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit.

The cut in the in fact, the elimination of the grocery tax in the state.

We're going to continue to make those kinds of changes to lower costs average people.

And I your question, you know how what kind of chance we see in this race?

We're going to run really hard.

And I think that ultimately.

>> It's going to be a choice for the people of Illinois.

You want somebody wants to rule the red carpet out for Donald Trump focused on lowering wages and taking a woman's right to choose or do you want the team that is going to continue to work to lower your costs, make health care more accessible, continue to build the infrastructure that attracts business.

Continue to improve our schools.

That's what JB and I are going to offer as governor