Florida Chamber Launches Chicago Billboards Naming Governor JB Pritzker Runner‑Up for Economic Developer of the Year

The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO, Mark Wilson, spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital about the expansion of the Chamber’s “Free Enterprise” campaign to Chicago, where Governor JB Pritzker was named runner‑up for the “Economic Developer of the Year” award.

EXCLUSIVE: Commuters traveling into or out of Chicago on the Stevenson Expressway now encounter a new billboard campaign launched by Florida’s premier business advocacy group.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is extending its multimillion‑dollar recruitment effort into the Midwest with a “Free Enterprise” billboard initiative that highlights Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, citing data indicating billions of dollars in income have shifted from Illinois to Florida.

“The Chicago billboards will resemble our New York placement, with two displays naming Governor Pritzker as runner‑up for Florida’s ‘Economic Developer of the Year,’” Wilson told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

Wilson emphasized that the critique is policy‑driven, not personal. “The governor bears ultimate responsibility for Illinois’s policies, just as Florida’s governor does for our state,” he noted. Citing crime rates and high taxes, he said Chicago’s challenges are prompting outmigration. “Illinois is losing residents and businesses; billions in taxable income are leaving, putting the state in a death spiral,” he added.

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The billboards feature an image of Governor Pritzker shrugging and are displayed on both sides of I‑55, labeling him runner‑up while thanking him for jobs relocating to Florida. The initiative follows a similar campaign in New York, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani was named “Economic Developer of the Year.” The Chamber argues that progressive tax policies drive wealth, businesses, and families toward Florida.

Chicago stands as the next frontier for the Florida Chamber’s “Free Enterprise” campaign, which is targeting Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. (Getty Images)

“Our strategy is data‑driven,” Wilson explained, noting that New York ranked first and Illinois second. Florida’s population grew by roughly 1.9 million while Illinois lost between 75,000 and 100,000 residents in the same period. He added, “Taxable income shifting from Illinois to Florida exceeds $2 billion.”

Wilson cited high‑profile departures such as billionaire Ken Griffin’s relocation of Citadel to Miami, arguing that crime and tax pressures can drive employers away.

“The bullet holes in Citadel’s Chicago building symbolized a breaking point,” Wilson observed. “Decriminalization cannot be paired with claims of safety; people see the reality and it does not add up.”

He criticized tax increases that burden investors in manufacturing and community development. “Individuals like Ken Griffin channel hundreds of millions into education and public safety, yet Illinois’s policies render the state less safe, less competitive, and costlier to operate in,” Wilson said.

Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson discussed with Fox News Digital the rationale behind a new Times Square advertisement targeting Mayor Zohran Mamdani, highlighting outmigration of businesses and wealth from New York to Florida.

The initiative extends beyond hedge funds and billionaires; Wilson noted the Chamber is actively courting Illinois’s advanced manufacturing, aviation, and tech‑startup sectors.

“Advanced manufacturing is a top priority for us; Florida is one of the few states with a dedicated chief manufacturing officer,” Wilson said. He added that Florida leads the nation in new business formation and invites Illinois entrepreneurs whose ideas are stifled by restrictive policies to relocate to the “Sunshine State.”

Wilson reported that the earlier Times Square effort elevated the Chamber’s earned‑media value above $100 million. Though he withheld exact billboard expenditures, he noted that operating the Chamber requires “millions of dollars a year.”

The Florida Chamber’s digital billboard can be found at 1500 Broadway & W. 43rd St. in Times Square. | FOXBusiness

Wilson urged Illinois leaders to “reflect on the data,” noting that despite a smaller population, the state’s budget and debt dwarf Florida’s. He called for Illinois to embrace free‑enterprise principles, stating that both its residents and businesses deserve such reforms.

Gov. Pritzker did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Wilson warned that Florida’s rapid growth imposes a responsibility on state and business leaders to avoid the pitfalls currently affecting northern jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, Californians confront affordability challenges, prompting Los Angeles County community leaders to push for political change to aid residents under financial pressure.

Wilson cautioned that the greatest threat to Florida’s success is repeating the mistakes of Illinois, New York, and California. Historically, he noted, California once led the nation but “let it go” over time.

The state’s expansion, he added, obligates Florida’s leaders to sidestep the challenges observed in Illinois, New York, and California.

“I frequently hear comparisons like ‘at least we’re not Illinois, California, or New York,’” he said. “The real benchmark should be Florida’s own potential—Florida versus Florida.”

Wilson indicated that the Chicago billboards, slated for a one‑week run along I‑55, are part of a broader Free Enterprise Florida campaign that will expand to additional states.

“Our aim is to wake up residents of these states,” Wilson concluded. “We want America to win, and the future of the nation is exemplified by Florida’s achievements.”

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