Illinois governor escalates redistricting showdown with Trump and Texas
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to the press in late June. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker hosted Texas state legislators on Friday, offering up a strong signal that state Democrats are ready to fight Republican redistricting efforts in the U.S. House.
The big picture: President Trump has said he wants Texas Republicans to redistrict their congressional maps to squeeze at least five more GOP seats in the midterm.
- That announcement was countered by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who threatened to do the same in his state for Democrats.
The latest: Now, Pritzker has entered the fray.
How it works: States redraw the maps based on new population counts from the census at the beginning of each decade.
- Democrats have controlled Illinois congressional district maps for decades, and Republicans have long argued that the maps amount to political gerrymandering.
- The 2021 map snatched two seats from Republicans, giving Democrats control of 14 of Illinois' 17 districts.
Zoom out: Pritzker said he wants Texas Republicans to be "fair" in the redistricting process, infuriating local Republicans who have cried foul against Pritzker and Illinois Democrats for redistricting maps to favor their party.
- "These state Democrats have the morals of a tomcat," Illinois Freedom Caucus Chair Chris Miller tells Axios. "They will lie to the public, just like the last map that they drew. They said it was the fairest map that's ever been drawn in Illinois. It's laughable."
Between the lines: If Pritzker chooses to counter Trump and Texas Republicans, there is nothing in the state constitution that would stop him from doing it. Even though the U.S. Constitution calls for the census to inform congressional districts once every 10 years, that doesn't stop states from mid-decade adjustments.
- In California, voters would have to approve any redistricted maps. That's not the case in Illinois, although any unprecedented move would probably end up in court.
Reality check: Pritzker can't increase how many seats the state has in the House, and it would be difficult to redraw districts in a way to make more seats safe for Democrats.
- Also, it's only three districts, not enough to counter Texas and Trump's plans alone.
Yes, but: With supermajorities in both chambers, it wouldn't take long for Illinois to act, even as early as this year, before the 2026 midterm elections.
The intrigue: This debate comes at an advantageous time for state Democrats. Several congressional seats are open because incumbents have opted to run for higher offices or retire, which could make it easier for the legislature to squeeze more seats.
The bottom line: Regardless of what Pritzker decides, Friday's roundtable shows the powerful governor has jumped into the national redistricting fight.