Key takeaways:

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker headlines North Carolina Democrats’ summer gala

Democratic governors tout policy wins on wages, Medicaid , and tax cuts

Governors like Wes Moore and Gretchen Whitmer seen as 2028 contenders

Party leaders say state successes offer hope amid federal GOP control

ATLANTA — Anderson Clayton wanted a headline name to speak at North Carolina Democrats’ summer gala — but the state party chair bypassed familiar Capitol Hill figures, looking instead to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

She described him as “a real fighter” against President Donald Trump , someone who gets things done because he controls levers of government — unlike any Democrat in Washington.

“I wanted people to hear from one of the Democratic governors who has defended the

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