Gov. Pritzker to undergo second medical procedure, pause public duties while recovering

Gov. JB Pritzker is once again undergoing an out-patient urology procedure on Monday that will take him away from public events as he recovers, the governor's office said on Friday.

The procedure is the "standard and final follow-up to the same procedure he completed in May 2026," spokesman Matt Hill said.

"The Governor will continue fulfilling his duties and pause public events while recovering," Hill said. "The Governor is grateful for well-wishes and looks forward to resuming public events soon.”

Pritzker on May 1 underwent a "routine outpatient urology procedure" and stepped back from public duties. The governor's office then said he would be fulfilling his "duties" but would pause public events.

The disclosure comes three days after Pritzker won his third term as Illinois governor, defeating Republican candidate Darren Bailey by nearly 23 points. It was Pritzker's widest margin of victory yet while becoming Illinois’ first Democrat elected to a third term as governor and the first in more than a century to carry McHenry County, the most conservative collar county, as the blue tsunami washed through Springfield, too.

The Democratic governor in September publicly disclosed that he had lost 80 pounds with the help of a GLP-1 and exercise. In an interview with the Sun-Times, Pritzker said that he would be open to sharing health information with the public "if there's anything that threatens my life."

"I think the public has to know that. I think that people don't need to know every little thing about my health," Pritzker said. "I don't think sending out my cholesterol levels... I don't have a problem. I'll let people know if I do. I think it's private information, but it shouldn't be private if it's going to affect my job and my ability to do my job. But that is a point at which I think the public deserves to know, whether it's my job or my longevity, while I would be governor, I think the public should know."

All of the focus on Pritzker's health and weight comes as he continues to appear on the list of potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders. He once again dodged a question about a White House bid on Wednesday as he offered a congressional agenda in wake of the blue wave that swept the country.

“Everything, including the agenda that we put forward today and everything we’ve done in the last eight years, has really been about the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “What is good for the people of Illinois? Those are the questions that I ask every day. When I wake up in the morning, what am I gonna do to make people’s lives better?"