The next is a transcript of an interview with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that aired on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, March 5, 2023.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We need to go now to Democratic governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois. Good morning to you, Governor.

GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER: Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ve loads to get to with you. However I need to get one thing out of the way in which. New York Occasions has an enormous function on you calling you the Democrats’ SOS candidate, saying you are conserving your choices open for a presidential run in 2024. In case Biden does not run, is that true?

GOV. PRITZKER: No, I am supporting Joe Biden. He is operating for reelection, and he’ll get re-elected. I am simply, you understand, completely happy that individuals consider me in that manner. That is definitely very flattering, however I intend to serve out my time period as Governor of Illinois.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Since you are, in response to CBS reporting, doubtlessly serving on an advisory board to the President, if he does run for reelection. You might need heard Joe Manchin, who simply informed us that it was type of an open query as to who can be operating, he stated, let’s have a look at who all of the gamers are. He did not endorse the president. That stunned you?

GOV. PRITZKER: Effectively, I am sorry to listen to that. It does shock me a bit. I’ll say that Joe Biden has an terrible lot that he will get to run on right here. He is gotten an incredible quantity accomplished for the nation, saved actually tons of of hundreds of lives by ensuring that vaccines had been distributed. He handed laws in a bipartisan vogue, you understand, we obtained the IRA, which goes to assist us struggle local weather change, infrastructure, which helps all people throughout the nation. The CHIPS and Science Act, which goes to assist us deliver manufacturing again to the US. And what’s Joe Biden’s superpower? And that’s he demonstrates empathy in all the pieces that he does, he actually cares in regards to the American individuals.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you suppose he must make it official and say he is operating in order that there is not extra hypothesis or individuals contemplating different choices?

GOV. PRITZKER: I do not suppose there’s anyone that is severe, that is truly contemplating operating in opposition to Joe Biden, as a result of he is accomplished such an amazing job.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I need to ask you on the problem set that Democrats are operating on, your workplace told- informed us you are very targeted on faculty board races in Illinois to ensure excessive proper wing candidates aren’t dominating them. I am questioning how sturdy the Republican floor operation is on issues like faculty boards. Is mother and father’ rights actually one thing you suppose Democrats must be involved about on a nationwide scale?

GOV. PRITZKER: Effectively, what Republicans try to do is, after all, ban books in libraries, they’re making an attempt to maintain our colleges from instructing black historical past. They make up issues about CRT in colleges that simply do not exist. And they also’ve obtained quite a lot of excessive proper wing candidates, frankly, on the loopy finish of issues which might be operating and we simply need to ensure that individuals know who they’re and know to not vote for them.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All proper, Governor, there’s loads I need to get to with you on the opposite facet of this industrial breaks up, please stick with us. And we’ll be proper again.

PART 2

MARGARET BRENNAN:  Welcome again to FACE THE NATION. We need to proceed our dialog now with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. Governor, thanks for staying with us by way of the break. I will comply with up on one thing you stated proper earlier than we took that break. You stated you need to be certain that individuals know who they’re and to not vote for them. You had been speaking about Republicans, you stated making an attempt to do issues like ban instructing Black historical past, banned books and banned CRT? Are you speaking about individuals in Illinois who you are speaking about? The place’s that occuring?

GOV. PRITZKER: Effectively, you asked- you requested me about faculty boards. And I am telling you, we have got individuals operating on the native degree who imagine that however after all, the Republicans are carrying this as a nationwide message. And truthfully, it is one thing that is offensive to most People. This concept of banning Black historical past. It is vital for individuals to know the historical past of slavery in the US, you understand, in our- our whole US historical past, warts and all.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, in Florida, who, the place I feel you are gesturing to they aren’t blan- banning black historical past, it was particularly that AP school course that is what you are referring to there? That model of it.

GOV. PRITZKER: Effectively, after they’re making an attempt to dive in and take over a an AP Historical past examination, and edit it and edit out elements that they do not like, that is banning historical past. That is what they’re doing in Florida. That is what Ron DeSantis is doing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, a possible 2024 candidate. I need to ask you in regards to the difficulty of abortion. As a result of I do know you’re one in all 20 Democratic governors very a lot deeply concerned in-in making an attempt to construct a firewall right here in opposition to restrictions. There is a Texas decide who might quickly determine a case that would revoke the approval of the abortion capsule which is the most typical type of abortion on this nation. If there’s a ruling to limit it, how will governors reply? What is going to you do?

GOV. PRITZKER: Effectively, in Illinois, we defend the opposite abortion medication which might be obtainable, and we defend ladies’s proper to precise their reproductive freedom. And so we’re serving to our clinics in Illinois, we’re ensuring that each one the refugees from the states round us which have banned abortion, know that there is an oasis right here within the Midwest right here within the state of Illinois to guard their well being and their reproductive rights.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, Walgreens is an Illinois primarily based pharmacy. I do know you known as of their CEO Roz Brewer for a gathering on Friday, they’d introduced they will not promote abortion drugs in states during which Republican attorneys normal have threatened authorized motion. Are you able to get them to alter the coverage? And that they are nonetheless ready, I assume, on certification to promote the capsule in Illinois itself. Are you able to get them approval?

GOV. PRITZKER:  Effectively, that is one thing that occurs on the federal degree. However I supplied to them to work with the federal authorities to attempt to pace up the method of certification. They need to certify it in Illinois, and so they need to have the ability to promote it right here. So we will assist in any manner that they ask us to. However look on a broader scale, we must always simply acknowledge that these pharmacies want to guard ladies’s well being. That’s the enterprise that they need to be in. And so in states the place it is authorized to have an abortion and authorized to promote an abortion capsule, they need to nonetheless be doing it and I’ve informed them that we have to ensure that the opposite pharmacies do the identical.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, we’ll be following that. I need to ask you as effectively about crime as a difficulty for Democrats. Within the metropolis of Chicago, the mayor Lori Lightfoot simply didn’t make the runoff within the Democratic major. She was challenged by a former faculty CEO backed by a police union and the Prepare dinner County Commissioner who was endorsed by the Chicago Lecturers Union. So I am questioning what the takeaway message is right here for Democrats? Is it do not tackle the academics unions as she did or is it to focus extra on violent crime?