Think Big America is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded by billionaire Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) to campaign at the national level for liberal abortion policies similar to those he has signed into law in Illinois. Pritzker says Think Big America will campaign to combat right-of-center initiatives such as restricting access to books deemed inappropriate for children in schools and implementing election integrity laws, arguing those who support such initiatives along with supporting abortion restrictions are “right-wing extremists.” ^{1 2 3 4 5}

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Think Big America could help bring national attention to Pritzker as a Democratic political figure, and speculated that it could help bolster his chances in a potential 2028 presidential campaign. He also clarified in a statement, “I know you’ve heard me say this before, but I don’t know what you thought was happening in 2023 and 2024. But for me, I was always about reelecting [President] Joe Biden and reelecting [Vice President] Kamala Harris.” ^{6 7}

Background

Think Big America is a nonprofit advocacy organization founded by billionaire Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) in October 2023. ⁸ It is reported that Pritzker founded the organization to expand his administration’s campaigns in support of eliminating restrictions on abortion access from the state of Illinois to a national level. ⁹

Think Big America announced its founding through an October 2023 YouTube video in which Pritzker claimed so-called “far-right” extremism has been expanding and that Think Big America will campaign in opposition to initiatives supporting restricting access to abortions, restricting access to books considered inappropriate to be accessed by children in school libraries, and implementing election integrity policies. ^{10 11 12} The video goes on to commend Pritzker for signing legislation that it describes as making Illinois an “abortion oasis” and the “most progressive abortion protection bill in the country.” ¹³

While discussing the purpose of Think Big America, Pritzker’s staffers “likened” the organization to Tom Steyer’s NextGen America, which was allegedly created to bolster Steyer’s presidential campaign. It has also been reported that Pritzker has been funding Democratic Party campaigns and some have speculated that Think Big America will expand his influence and bolster his chances at being nominated by the party for the 2028 presidential election. ^{14 15}

As of its founding in October 2023, Think Big America’s website homepage contained a single link to Pritzker’s ‘accomplishments’ as governor. The listed “accomplishments” include increased spending on public projects and social services, an environmentalist “climate plan,” and “protections” for access to abortions. The page goes on to state that Think Big America seeks to campaign for policies nationwide that enable access and reduce restrictions for abortions. ¹⁶

Board of Directors

Think Big America’s board of directors consists of Desirée Rogers, who worked in the Obama administration; Illinois state Representative Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) and Chicago Alderperson Michelle Harris. ¹⁷

J.B. Pritzker

J.B. Pritzker is a billionaire and heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and founder of Think Big America. In 2018, he was elected for Governor of Illinois as a Democratic candidate. ¹⁸ Pritzker is also the founder of the nonprofit organization 1871, which helps people build businesses in the Chicago area. ¹⁹

1. Sfondeles, Tina. “With His Own Money and Campaign Staffers, Pritzker Launches National Bid to Protect Abortion Rights.” Times, October 18, 2023. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/10/18/23921603/abortion-rights-jb-pritzker-national-effort-ohio-referendum.
2. “Think_Big_USA.” X (formerly Twitter), October 19, 2023. https://x.com/Think_Big_USA/status/1715075775437651987?s=20.
3. “Think_Big_USA.” X (formerly Twitter), October 20, 2023. https://x.com/Think_Big_USA/status/1715438485870379449?s=20
4. Sargent, Greg. “Opinion | How the ‘sex Act’ Has Become a Potent Weapon for Book Banners in Iowa.” The Washington Post, October 18, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/19/book-bans-iowa-kim-reynolds-gop-censorship/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjk3Njg4MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjk5MDcwMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE2OTc2ODgwMDAsImp0aSI6ImEzMjQxODUyLTczOTctNDI5NS1iNWEzLTY0YWMzMjY1MzQ5NiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDIzLzEwLzE5L2Jvb2stYmFucy1pb3dhLWtpbS1yZXlub2xkcy1nb3AtY2Vuc29yc2hpcC8ifQ.e0woReb3w7ZuunKyLsHsr15QvkwBj-UP0ofJcpRIoYg.
5. “Think Big America: Defending Democracy, Protecting Reproductive Rights, and Fighting Extremism.” YouTube, October 18, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK5IlB4mqQY.
6. Sfondeles, Tina. “With His Own Money and Campaign Staffers, Pritzker Launches National Bid to Protect Abortion Rights.” Times, October 18, 2023. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/10/18/23921603/abortion-rights-jb-pritzker-national-effort-ohio-referendum.
7. Panetta, Grace. “Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Launches Organization Focused on Protecting Abortion Rights.” The 19th, October 20, 2023. https://19thnews.org/2023/10/jb-pritzker-illinois-organization-abortion-ballot-measures/.
8. Panetta, Grace. “Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Launches Organization Focused on Protecting Abortion Rights.” The 19th, October 20, 2023. https://19thnews.org/2023/10/jb-pritzker-illinois-organization-abortion-ballot-measures/.
9. Sfondeles, Tina. “With His Own Money and Campaign Staffers, Pritzker Launches National Bid to Protect Abortion Rights.” Times, October 18, 2023. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/10/18/23921603/abortion-rights-jb-pritzker-national-effort-ohio-referendum.
10. “Think_Big_USA.” X (formerly Twitter), October 19, 2023. https://x.com/Think_Big_USA/status/1715075775437651987?s=20.
11. “Think_Big_USA.” X (formerly Twitter), October 20, 2023. https://x.com/Think_Big_USA/status/1715438485870379449?s=20
12. Sargent, Greg. “Opinion | How the ‘sex Act’ Has Become a Potent Weapon for Book Banners in Iowa.” The Washington Post, October 18, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/19/book-bans-iowa-kim-reynolds-gop-censorship/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjk3Njg4MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjk5MDcwMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE2OTc2ODgwMDAsImp0aSI6ImEzMjQxODUyLTczOTctNDI5NS1iNWEzLTY0YWMzMjY1MzQ5NiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDIzLzEwLzE5L2Jvb2stYmFucy1pb3dhLWtpbS1yZXlub2xkcy1nb3AtY2Vuc29yc2hpcC8ifQ.e0woReb3w7ZuunKyLsHsr15QvkwBj-UP0ofJcpRIoYg
13. “Think Big America: Defending Democracy, Protecting Reproductive Rights, and Fighting Extremism.” YouTube, October 18, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK5IlB4mqQY.
14. Sfondeles, Tina. “With His Own Money and Campaign Staffers, Pritzker Launches National Bid to Protect Abortion Rights.” Times, October 18, 2023. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/10/18/23921603/abortion-rights-jb-pritzker-national-effort-ohio-referendum.
15. Panetta, Grace. “Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Launches Organization Focused on Protecting Abortion Rights.” The 19th, October 20, 2023. https://19thnews.org/2023/10/jb-pritzker-illinois-organization-abortion-ballot-measures/.
16.  “JB’s Administration’s Accomplishments.” Think Big America. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.thinkbigamerica.com/accomplishments.
17. “Pritzker Launches Abortion Rights Group Think Big America.” POLITICO. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/18/pritzker-abortion-rights-think-big-america-00122159.
18. “J.B. Pritzker.” Forbes. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/profile/jb-pritzker/?sh=109dddc73814.
19. “Meet JB.” Governor JB Pritzker, June 17, 2022. https://jbpritzker.com/meetjb/.