Illinois Gov. Pritzker ran a cautious reelection campaign. Will he play it safe in 2nd term?

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker begins his second term Jan. 9 emboldened by a decisive reelection victory, a slew of wins in November by Democratic candidates he helped fund and a series of legislative successes that formed the foundation of his bid for another four years in Springfield.

With his party achieving a historic 78-40 edge over Republicans in the Illinois House in the new term and a 40-19 advantage in the Senate, expectations will be high for the billionaire entrepreneur and Hyatt Hotels heir to continue racking up victories, though he laid out few specific plans during the campaign.

While he can count many first-term successes, Pritzker was chastened by the resounding defeat of what was intended to be the signature accomplishment: a state constitutional amendment to shift from a flat-rate income tax to a system where higher earners are taxed at higher rates.

And despite his efforts to downplay talk of his future ambitions, he remains surrounded by speculation that he’s eyeing a White House run in 2024, something he’s publicly ruled out as long as President Joe Biden intends to seek another term. Still, until that door is fully closed, many will judge his actions in that light.

The contours of Pritzker’s second-term agendawhile offering few specifics, the governor told the Tribune in an interview in late December that it all begins with continuing to stabilize the state’s long-shaky finances.