J.B. Pritzker

ILLINOIS (WAND) – J.B. Pritzker will be the next governor of Illinois, according to NBC News projections.

Pritzker and incumbent Bruce Rauner battled for the seat in a race that ended at around 7:23 p.m. on Election Day. NBC Chicago reports Rauner has called Pritzker to concede the race.

"We have made great progress, but we can't let this progress end," Rauner said in a statement after conceding. 

Pritzker spoke to a group of supporters in Chicago Tuesday evening, touting healthcare and education reforms.

"Who we are is how we overcome our biggest challenges," he said. "We work to mend broken places.We like the journey from hill to hilltop and recognize there is grace and courage and pride in the struggle to rise."

Pritzker also championed criminal justice reforms, additional gun safety laws and making Illinois a more welcoming place for immigrants during his speech Tuesday.

The 2018 governor race was the most expensive in Illinois history, with Pritzker giving $171.5 million of his personal money to the campaign effort. The billionaire Pritzker family owns Hyatt hotels. Combined, the candidates spent over $240 million of personal money on their campaigns.

Forbes says Pritzker, with a net worth of $3.4 billion, is the 219th richest American.

Polls considered Pritzker the favorite in the race for months before the November election. His lead in polls stayed in the double-digit range going into Tuesday.

The Democratic Governors Association and its chair governor, Jay Inslee (D-WA), congratulated Pritzker on his win. 

"JB ran a model campaign, focused on the issues that matter to Illinois voters: strengthening health care, investing in education, and fixing the budget mess that Gov. Bruce Rauner left," he said. "JB also built a strong campaign infrastructure to help up-and-down the ticket. "