Pritzker's power play: Texas Democrats take refuge in Illinois
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Gov. JB Pritzker at a news conference Sunday night at the Democratic Party of DuPage County office. Photo: Talia Sprague/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Texas Democrats are hiding out in the Chicago area, skipping Monday's statehouse session on redistricting the Lone Star State's congressional map.
Why it matters: The fight over fair elections has landed on Illinois' doorstep.
The big picture: About 30 Texas Democrats fled to keep the state's legislature from having a quorum to vote on new congressional maps that would create more right-leaning districts to keep the U.S. House under GOP control in 2026.
The intrigue: This move isn't unprecedented. Illinois has long been a haven for other Democratic state lawmakers who flee their states.
- In 2011, Wisconsin Democrats came here to avoid a vote on a sweeping anti-union bill, while Indiana Democrats did the same thing over the same issue.
Reality check: Those protests didn't change the outcome. Wisconsin and Indiana legislatures eventually passed those bills, but with some concessions.
Between the lines: Texas Democrats met with Gov. JB Pritzker last month. It's unclear if Pritzker and other local Democrats encouraged the move.
- But their presence here solidifies Pritzker as a leading voice of the opposition party and is another signal that he may be looking for higher office.
- In Texas, this is the third time in recent history where Democrats have left in protest, but they fled to Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.
Friction point: Local Republicans accused Pritzker of gerrymandering the state for Democrats in 2021, which they say is the same thing Texas Republicans are doing now.
- Pritzker campaigned on fair maps when he first ran in 2018.
State of play: Pritzker and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have a contentious political history. Abbott bused migrants to Chicago in 2022 without warning, while Pritzker took out full-page ads in Texas newspapers condemning Abbott for the move.
- Pritzker is not paying for the Texas lawmakers to be here. Instead, his office provided logistical support to find hotel rooms.
What's next: If Texas ultimately redraws the map, the focus will shift to blue states like California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, which could redraw left-leaning districts to counter Texas.
- In Illinois, 14 of the 17 congressional districts are represented by Democrats. Some believe the state legislature, which Democrats control, could redraw districts to gain one or two seats by compartmentalizing the southern part of the state.
- Pritzker could call a special session as early as this month.