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JB Pritzker: “Illinois's 8th graders were 22nd in the nation for math…”

Featuring: JB Pritzker, Democratic | Governor of Illinois

Gov. Pritzker on DNC, Immigration, and Fighting Authoritarianism | Full Interview

Published October 21, 2025 | Video Starts at 54:44

Do you know that the 8th graders, National, National Test, NAEP scores that are given to 8th graders on reading and math. And when I took office in 2019, Illinois's 8th graders were 22nd in the nation for math among the 50 states [in 2019]. Today we're fifth in the nation in math. When I, when I took office in 2019, we were at 15th in the nation for reading scores, 8th grade reading scores. We're now second in the nation for 8th grade reading scores. (54:44–55:00)

CLAIM

Asserts that Illinois 8th graders improved from 22nd to 5th in math nationally.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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JB Pritzker

“We had $17 billion of unpaid bills, overdue bills, and I think the days payable was like 250 days payable when I came in.”
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“We have more jobs in the state of Illinois than we've ever had before.”
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“We were at 15th in the nation for reading scores, 8th grade reading scores [in 2019]. We're now second in the nation for 8th grade reading…”
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“I'm really proud of the execution of the Democratic National Convention back last year.”
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“There's only really one city in the entire country that has had multiple conventions in a row, and that's the city of Chicago.”
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“We've had more conventions than any other state.”
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“I'm running for governor of Illinois.”
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“20% of [the people of Illinois] live in the city of Chicago.”
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“Chicago is, of course, an economic engine for the state, and so it needs to be nurtured in that regard.”
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“Most of the state is farmland and rural area, 75% of it.”
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“It's important that Decatur does well and Springfield does well and Quincy.”
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“Our state police are stronger and larger today than they were when I took office.”
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“I followed a Republican governor under whom the Illinois State Police was diminished.”
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“ICE [is] breaking all of the protocols and rules that normally apply to police in this country.”
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“This administration that is arresting people for the color of their skin.”
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“This president is breaching the Constitution virtually every day.”
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“He's never lived up to any agreement that he's ever made.”
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“When you stand up and speak out, you are going to be subject to the criticism and the whims of a, you know, a very vindictive president of…”
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“Troops possibly being on the streets for the elections in 2026.”
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“Democrats are not for open borders.”
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“You don't have a country if you don't have a border.”
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“We haven't had comprehensive immigration reform.”
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“The president said he was going after the worst of the worst. ICE says they're going after the worst of the worst.”
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“I criticized President Biden. I wrote a public letter about it when it was happening during his administration, that we needed to do more…”
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“The Republicans have never proposed this under Donald Trump. He wants to do something about immigration. He should have come into office and…”
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“I am absolutely foursquare opposed to a head tax for the City of Chicago.”
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“When I came into office and I spent six and a half years trying to turn that reputation around, balance our budgets, attract businesses…”
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“For the state of Illinois, that's going to turn into several billion dollars that they are foisting upon us as things like SNAP and…”
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“Balancing the budget for the state of Illinois, for the city of Chicago, vital, can't be ignored, has to be done, shouldn't be done with a…”
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