Pritzker received the Entrepreneurial Champion Award from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in 2008 for his efforts to promote economic development and job creation.

Anticipating that Sidney R. Yates (the longtime Democratic incumbent in Illinois's 9th district in the United States House of Representatives) might retire instead of seeking reelection, Pritzker laid the groundwork for possible 1994 and 1996 campaigns for his seat.

[29] In 1998, Yates opted to forgo reelection, and Pritzker ran in the Democratic primary to succeed him,[27] reconstituting his campaign committee in April 1997.

[32] Journalist James Ylisela Jr. observed that Pritzker, Schakowsky, and Carroll largely all ran on platforms aligned with the "liberal Democratic Party agenda" that Yates had championed.

[27] But the Chicago Tribune wrote that Pritzker and Caroll ran on more moderate platforms than Schakowsky, and therefore potentially wound up competing with each other for many of the same voters.

[33] At the time, the election was one of the most expensive congressional primaries in U.S. history, and Pritzker spent nearly $1 million of his own money on his campaign[33] (including $500,000 on television ads in the Chicago market).

He and Blagojevich discussed filling Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, with Pritzker saying that appointing then-Secretary of State Jesse White would "cover you on the African-American thing" and that he was the "least offensive" candidate.

[45] After the tape was released, White continued to support Pritzker in his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and accepted his apology, saying he knew "where his heart is" and "I consider him a very good friend".

[48] On August 10, 2017, Pritzker announced that his running mate would be freshman State Representative and fellow Chicago resident Juliana Stratton.

[citation needed] Pritzker spent $171.5 million of his own money on his campaign, primarily on digital outreach, television advertising, and staff.

Moreover, data show that Illinoisans chose not just colleges and universities from nearby states such as Iowa and Indiana, but also as far away as Alabama and Utah, lured by financial aid and scholarship packages.

[105] On August 5, 2021, Pritzker announced that face masks must be worn at all times while inside P-12 schools, daycares, and long-term care facilities regardless of vaccination status.

[111] In the same month, he signed House Bill 2045, ending the practice of collecting a $5 copay for offsite medical and dental treatments from people detained at a juvenile correction facility.

[112] On February 22, 2021, Pritzker signed a criminal justice reform bill that, among other things, makes Illinois the first U.S. state to eliminate cash bail.

[115] To help pay for his 2019 capital spending bill, Pritzker expanded gambling, allowing more casinos and legalized sports betting.

This did not mean new casinos could be built and sports betting could begin right away: granting licenses for such activities is the job of the Illinois Gaming Board, and the process is a complex one, lasting several months or more and involving extensive criminal background checks, among other requirements.

[118] On January 17, 2019, Pritzker signed a bill requiring state certification for gun dealers,[119] which passed during the tenure of his predecessor, Bruce Rauner.

[124] Gun rights organizations pledged to challenge the law in court, saying, "Almost the entire bill is a constitutional issue", according to the Illinois State Rifle Association.

[129] Welcome centers help guide immigrants on a path to citizenship and refugees with access to health care, education, jobs, and legal services.

Perez's supporters hope the pardon will help him return to the U.S.[132] In late June 2019, Pritzker signed the bipartisan capital bill named Rebuild Illinois, worth $45 billion to be spent in six years and estimated to create 540,000 jobs.

Newly authorized casinos are expected to create thousands of jobs and deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for construction projects.

[140][141] The bill includes a tax credit for small businesses to help them deal with higher costs of labor and maintains the ability of restaurant owners to count tips toward pay.

[145] In June 2019, Pritzker signed an executive order requiring schools across the state to be "affirming and inclusive" of transgender and non-binary students.

[146][147][148] In 2023, Pritzker declined to speak directly with Representative Dean Phillips regarding his effort to try to convince him to challenge President Biden in the Democratic presidential primary.

Such individuals may collect their benefits from a private business that has a contract with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to provide meals with discounts.

[167] In 2017, it was revealed that both Pritzker and his 2018 gubernatorial primary opponent Christopher G. Kennedy had stock holdings in ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, Occidental Petroleum, and ConocoPhillips, raising questions about whether either of them had genuine commitments to reducing climate change.

In October 2023, Pritzker launched and funded the abortion rights nonprofit Think Big America, which targets ballot measures in other states as part of a broader campaign "combating far-right extremism".

Under the leadership of economist James Heckman, he supported the creation of the Pritzker Consortium on Early Childhood Development at the University of Chicago.

[200] The Better Government Association, an Illinois watchdog, has criticized Pritzker's charitable giving practices, saying he funneled the funds he gave to charity from offshore tax havens.

During the 2018 campaign, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Pritzker had intentionally caused a mansion he had purchased next door to his home to become uninhabitable by removing its toilets.