Pritzker Blazes Campaign Trail

As billionaire Penny Pritzker stood in the kitchen of her Lincoln Park home in early January, she and her husband debated whether her schedule could take on another massive challenge.

The Hyatt hotel heiress was running multiple businesses, trying to spend time with her two teenage children and dealing with numerous civic and philanthropic responsibilities.

"I can't do this," she recalls saying. Then, her husband, Dr. Bryan Traubert, started knocking on the kitchen's door.

"He said, 'This is destiny knocking on the door of our nation,' " she recalls. " 'You have to find a way to make this work.' "

Within days, as she had anticipated, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) formally asked Pritzker, a longtime friend, to manage the fundraising for his presidential bid.

Nearly nine months and tens of millions of dollars later, Pritzker, 48, is making significant headway in a game traditionally dominated by men and testosterone.

With contributions likely to approach $100 million by the end of the year—not much less than the Chicago White Sox payroll—Obama has set fundraising records and outraised Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), who entered the nomination contest with a more established donor network. This week, the campaigns will announce third-quarter fundraising totals, always a closely watched barometer in presidential politics.

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