Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ruled out a 2024 run and heartily endorsed President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party's nomination Sunday.
A rising star within progressive circles, the billionaire governor was subject to speculation that he could serve as a last-ditch backup for Democrats should Biden decide not to run.
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"No, I'm supporting Joe Biden. He's running for reelection, and he's gonna get reelected. I'm just happy that people think of me in that way. That's certainly very flattering, but I intend to serve out my term as governor of Illinois," Pritzker told CBS's Face the Nation when asked about a recent New York Times article that called him Democrats' "SOS candidate."
Fellow Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) declined Sunday to preemptively endorse Biden, contending that he wanted to wait to see who the "players are." Pritzker described Manchin's waffling as a shock.
"It does surprise me a bit. I will say that Joe Biden has an awful lot that he gets to run on here. He's gotten a tremendous amount done for the country [and] saved literally hundreds of thousands of lives by making sure that vaccines were distributed," Pritzker said. "He demonstrates empathy in everything that he does. He truly cares about the American people."
The president is rumored to be contemplating an April announcement, though his timeline has seemingly shifted over recent weeks. He was initially expected to commence his campaign shortly after the State of the Union address.
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Although Biden has not formally declared his 2024 candidacy, he has said that he "intends" on running. So far, bestselling self-help author Marianne Williamson, who formally announced her campaign Saturday, is Biden's only rival.
"I don't think there's anybody that's serious that's actually considering running against Joe Biden because he's done such a great job," Pritzker added.