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Gov. Pritzker Has Broken Leg

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, holding giant scissors, was frequently on his feet in August. Here he's seen at the ribbon-cutting for the Illinois State Fair.
Brian Mackey
/
NPR Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, holding giant scissors, was frequently on his feet in August. Here he's seen at the ribbon-cutting for the Illinois State Fair.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has broken his leg, and his office says he doesn’t know how it happened.

Brian Mackey reports.

The administration says the governor has a “hairline fracture to his left femur” — commonly known as the thigh bone.

In a statement Thursday, the office says Pritzker doesn’t know what caused the injury — just that it’s older, and his pain has been getting worse in recent weeks.

That coincides with Pritzker frequently being on his feet in August — doing bill signings, political rallies, and walking all over both the Illinois and DuQuoin state fairs.

The governor's office says the fracture does not require surgery, but Pritzker will need up to six weeks to recover. It says he will remain “fully engaged” in his job.

Copyright 2021 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS. To see more, visit NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS.

Brian Mackey formerly reported on state government and politics for NPR Illinois and a dozen other public radio stations across the state. Before that, he was A&E editor at The State Journal-Register and Statehouse bureau chief for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.