Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has explained why he believes Illinois Governor JB Pritzker could be the ideal Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.

Appearing on News personality Raymond Arroyo’s “Arroyo Grande,” Carville downplayed the prospects of former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), while suggesting that former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel “would have an effect on the dialogue.”

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

But Pritzker, Carville said, ticks two crucial boxes.

He “can raise a lot of money right off the bat,” Carville said, adding that Pritzker can also walk into any black establishment and “make people pay attention to him.”

Carville acknowledged that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could also generate significant fundraising support.

But Pritzker stood out.

“If I had to say a guy, I don’t really know him, very superficially, but if I was betting the Kentucky Derby and I saw this horse at 12-to-1 and said, ‘I want to get a prize,’ I’d pick JB Pritzker,” Carville said.

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has explained why he believes Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (above) could be the ideal Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has explained why he believes Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (above) could be the ideal Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.

Daniel Boczarski via Getty Images

When Arroyo asked why not Harris, noting that she is Black, Carville responded that Harris, who lost the 2024 election to President Donald Trump, “has no chance.”

“No Democrat wants to have anything to do with anyone who had anything to do with 2024,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t like them; that’s not what it is. There’s no enthusiasm.”

Carville dismissed the power of name recognition: “If you do a poll and say that by 2028 it’s Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, whatever name they’ve heard of, the person they’ve heard of will always be at the top. But that doesn’t make sense.”

On the contrary, Carville said, Pritzker is well-liked within the black community.

“He runs an intense campaign,” he said. “I bet there isn’t a black church in South Carolina where JB isn’t on the building fund committee.”

“He’s larger than life,” she added. “He’s worth $3 billion and he won a million and a half dollars playing craps and blackjack in Las Vegas. That makes people like him.”

Harris currently leads the polls, with Newsom in second, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in third and Ocasio-Cortez in fourth.