Sneed: J.B. Pritzker is all in — launching bid for governor today

Follow @sneedlingsThe J.B. Way …

The deed is done. The time is now. It’s on.

Sneed is informed Dem dollar powerhouse J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire businessman and major Dem donor, will officially announce his bid today to run for governor in the Democratic primary.

UPDATE: The Pritzker campaign later Thursday morning announced the time and place of the announcement: 2 p.m. at Grand Crossing Gym, 7655 S. Ingleside Ave.

The roll-out of the Pritzker campaign, which he is capable of self funding, follows in the wake of a major fundraiser in New York tossed for Dem primary opponent Chris Kennedy by his sister, Kerry Kennedy.

Pritzker has been steadily moving closer to a launch.

He formed an exploratory committee last month to test the waters and raise money for a run — and immediately kicked in $200,000 from his own pocket. There’s lots more where that came from. Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.4 billion.

Follow @sneedlingsAnd the venture capitalist has already caught the eye of fellow billionaire Gov. Bruce Rauner and his Republican Party, who have been lobbing so many verbal missiles his way, Pritzker joked about it to Democrats last month. “According to Bruce Rauner and the Illinois GOP, Mike Madigan is actually my biological father,” Pritzker quipped.

He’s joining a growing field. Besides Kennedy, announced candidates in the race include Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th); state Sen. Daniel Biss; Bob Daiber, a superintendent of schools in Madison County, and business owner Alex Paterakis.

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