Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) announced in a statement Thursday that he is dropping his bid for Illinois governor due to a lack of funds.

Pawar’s campaign platform rested on recommitting to early childhood education and public schools without burdening the middle class, rebuilding infrastructure and reinvesting in “good-paying” jobs. Overall, the campaign had raised $828,000, but it still wasn’t enough, Pawar said in the statement.

“We simply didn’t have the money to meaningfully scale this campaign statewide,” Pawar said. “Without more resources, the only choices for expanding the campaign to a scope that could earn the nomination were to take on more personal debt or to cut staff.”

Although Pawar’s race for governor is ending, he also announced in the statement that he is launching a political action committee called One Illinois. The group will work to organize youth around progressive issues and “fight … divides around race, class, and geography,” he said.

State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, congratulated Pawar on an “incredible” campaign in a Thursday Facebook post. Biss said Pawar’s campaign increased awareness of the effects of systemic inequality on working-class families.

“Good candidates are being pushed out of races by big money and insiders,” Biss said. “If you care about democracy, this should be unacceptable.”

J.B. Pritzker, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, also released a statement Thursday addressing the conclusion of Pawar’s campaign.

Pritzker said Pawar made the race a “real conversation” about issues affecting Illinois citizens. He said Pawar focused on “how we can lift up” communities across the state.

“Ameya … traveled across Illinois, listening to all of our families and sharing a positive message of moving forward together,” Pritzker said. “I agree with Ameya that we are one Illinois, and it is time to unite our party and our state.”

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