Major media outlets seem to have missed a key aspect of partisan gerrymandering in Illinois, particularly as Texas House Democrats have traveled out of state to protest a Republican-driven proposal to change district lines.
On Sunday, a significant number of House Democrats left Illinois, preventing the necessary quorum to approve a new Congressional map that would benefit Republicans by potentially adding five seats. This protest gained considerable attention nationally, mostly highlighting the actions of Texas legislators.
This situation unfolds under the shadow of rumored presidential ambitions for Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, in 2028.
Some Texas lawmakers, claiming they are “fighting for a representative democracy,” have expressed their readiness to face any consequences arising from their actions. Yet, reports often fail to mention how the recently drawn map in Illinois gives Democrats 82% of the Congressional seats, even after Trump won 43.5% of the votes in the state during the 2024 presidential election.
Amid the chaos, there was talk of Texas Democrats holding the line from hotel rooms while Governor Abbott warned of possible arrests. A recent headline from Politico also neglected to refer to Illinois’ gerrymandering, despite it being the refuge for Democrats during this standoff.
The Illinois governor is threatening new gerrymanders. But he has already created the most awful and shameful jerrymander in the country!
The New York Times has recently pointed out that Texas Republicans are attempting to implement a significantly redrawn Congressional map, while Pritzker is seemingly preparing to challenge this by reworking Illinois’ own Congressional boundaries, a map heavily influenced by the Democratic Party.
However, the article didn’t mention that the Illinois map has already been manipulated extensively, leaving little room for further changes. Pritzker’s 2021 adjustments resulted in Democrats holding 14 of the 17 Congressional seats in Illinois.
A piece in the Washington Post described the current tensions as a national political war, presenting the Democrats as victims compelled to redraw maps by Republican actions, while also referencing the ongoing gerrymandering practices in Illinois.
Kathy Salvi, the Illinois Republican chairman, criticized Pritzker as hypocritical. She suggested that instead of focusing on his own political ambitions, he should address the gerrymandering issues in Illinois.
It’s noteworthy that the Illinois Legislature is responsible for drawing these maps. Critics argue this practice creates a situation where lawmakers essentially select their voters, compounding the issue of fairness.
The Gerrymandering Project from Princeton University gives ratings to Congressional maps based on their competitive nature and partisan advantage. According to their scores, Illinois has received a low ranking for competitiveness.
Joe Tabor, a director at the Illinois Institute of Policy Research, remarked that Pritzker’s actions seem more about political maneuvering than true representation, acknowledging the courage shown by fleeing lawmakers but criticizing retaliatory threats against them.
Pritzker was recently confronted about gerrymandering on Stephen Colbert’s show, where Colbert humorously pointed out the absurdities in the state’s district boundaries. At one point, Pritzker quipped about the map’s origins as if kindergartners had drawn it.
Previously, Pritzker had promised to reject partisan maps and even campaigned for constitutional amendments to establish an independent commission for redistricting. He had emphasized the need for such reforms back in 2018.
Yet, six years later, these changes have not come to fruition.
Illinois minority leader Tony McCoby criticized Pritzker for seemingly abandoning promises about fair representation in favor of political expedience, particularly by endorsing a map viewed as the most gerrymandered in the nation.
Pritzker’s office has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding these allegations.
