By Illinois Review
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is now openly threatening to redraw the state’s congressional maps in the middle of the decade – not to fix the broken system he once campaigned against, but to retaliate if Indiana Republicans approve a map that strengthens GOP control in the U.S. House.
At a December 9 event in Chicago, Pritzker warned that if Indiana’s legislature advances a map engineered to give Republicans two additional congressional seats, Illinois Democrats may strike back.
“We won’t stand idly by,” Pritzker told reporters. “The Illinois legislature stands ready to respond if necessary.”
The threat comes as Indiana’s Senate takes up a proposal – already passed by the House – that reflects President Donald Trump’s call for Republicans nationwide to solidify their congressional majorities.
Indiana’s new lines are expected to eliminate both Democrat-held districts, shifting the state from a 7-2 GOP advantage to 9-0 and helping fortify the national House majority as Trump advances his agenda.
Instead of defending fair elections, Pritzker is preparing for political revenge.
This is the same governor who appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year and laughed about Illinois’ heavily skewed maps, joking that “we handed it over to a Kindergarten class, and let them decide.”
His remark echoed what reform groups have said for years: Illinois is one of the most gerrymandered states in America.
And while Pritzker campaigned on enacting independent redistricting – vowing to oppose partisan maps – he reversed himself once in office. No independent-commission bill ever made it to his desk because Democrats never advanced one, but Pritzker nonetheless signed the partisan maps they produced.
Reform groups and Republicans blasted the move as a clear break of his pledge.
And the truth is, Illinois Republicans can do absolutely nothing to stop it. They remain trapped in a super minority in Springfield – with Democrats holding a veto-proof grip on both chambers – allowing Democratic leaders to walk all over them while they sit helplessly by and watch. The balance of power is so lopsided that Republicans don’t even have the votes to slow down a mid-decade gerrymander, let alone stop one.
If Pritzker follows through, Illinois could plunge into a costly legal battle and a national redistricting arms race – all to erase what few Republican districts remain. A full mid-decade redraw could cost Illinois taxpayers $10 million or more, based on comparisons to other states’ redistricting expenses.
Critics say this is wasteful at a time when Illinois faces crushing pension debt and mounting fiscal strain. Democrats may justify it as countering GOP aggression elsewhere, but taxpayers will still foot the bill.
