James Carville Names His 2028 Favorite

Democratic strategist says Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker would be his bet to become the nominee
Posted Feb 3, 2026 7:03 AM CST
James Carville Names His 2028 Favorite
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appears on Fox News on Oct. 23, 2025.   (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

James Carville's top pick to become the Democratic nominee in 2028 may come as a surprise: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. In an appearance on Raymond Arroyo's Fox News show, the Democratic strategist said the billionaire governor has two big selling points: He's a prodigious fundraiser, and he's well-liked in the Black community. "If I had to say one guy—I really don't know him, very superficially—but if I were betting the Kentucky Derby and I saw this 12-to-1 horse and I said, 'I want to get a prize,' I'd take JB Pritzker," Carville said, per HuffPost.

Kamala Harris? She has "no chance," says Carville. "No Democrat wants anything to do with anybody that had anything to do with 2024." Carville thought Rahm Emanuel, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro can make strong runs, but none match Pritzker's overall appeal in his view. "He's bigger than life," says Carville. "He's worth $3 billion and won a million and a half dollars shooting craps and blackjack in Las Vegas. That makes people like him." Early polling has Harris in first place, followed by Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but Carville calls such polls "meaningless" at this point.

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