Illinois Governor Criticizes Texas Redistricting Efforts
During a recent appearance on “Meet the Press,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker urged Kristen Welker to push back against Texas Republicans, suggesting they were attempting to “steal a seat” through their redistricting efforts. This comes as many Texas Democrats have relocated to Illinois in a bid to thwart a Republican plan that could secure them up to five additional seats in the House.
Pritzker then shifted his argument to claims that Texas Republicans are infringing upon the Voting Rights Act, although he didn’t provide any evidence for this. Welker pointed out that a map enacted before the 2022 midterm elections was under scrutiny, stating, “Your state map, according to various impartial critics, deserves an ‘F’ for fairness.” She further quoted a nonpartisan watchdog that labeled Illinois’ redistricting as an “almost perfect model” of what’s wrong with gerrymandering. It raised questions about how Pritzker could criticize Texas while employing similar tactics.
“What they’re discussing is simply a distraction,” Pritzker contended. He emphasized that the fundamental issue is Texas’s alleged violation of citizens’ rights and framed it as a significant threat to democracy, claiming that “these Texas Democrats are standing up against the GOP’s actions.”
Redistricting, which refers to the redrawing of legislative district boundaries, must occur after each census as outlined in Constitutional Law.
According to the Princeton University Gerrymandering Project, Illinois’ redistricting plan received an ‘F’ grade following Pritzker’s signature on the law back in November 2021. Interestingly, Pritzker had previously committed to overseeing this process during his campaign for governor in 2018.
The 2024 presidential election results showed Donald Trump garnering 43.5% of the vote in Illinois, up from 40.6% in 2020, as noted by Ballotpedia.
In tandem with Illinois, New York also revised its congressional map after the 2022 midterms, adjusting it in a way that jeopardized six of the eleven Republican-held seats in the House. Backing from progressive figures such as George Soros and former Democrat Beto O’Rourke has facilitated financial support for Texas Democrats to assist their attempts to break quorum and flee the state, according to Texas Tribune.
