Florida Chamber puts Illinois Governor on Chicago billboards as 'runner-up' economic developer

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has launched a new billboard series in Chicago, portraying Governor JB Pritzker as the runner-up for its ‘Florida Economic Developer of the Year’ award and thanking him for jobs shifting to Florida. Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson explained that the ads are based on figures indicating a loss of billions in taxable income and a population decline in Illinois compared with Florida’s growth.

The billboards echo a prior Times Square campaign that named New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani the top developer. Wilson highlighted high-profile exits like hedge-fund founder Ken Griffin moving Citadel to Miami, linking them to Illinois’ tax rates and safety concerns. The Chamber says the effort targets advanced manufacturing, aviation and tech startups, urging Illinois businesses to consider Florida’s “free-enterprise” environment. The Chicago displays will run for one week, with the broader campaign expected to expand to additional states.