BRAD WEISENSTEIN: Pritzker Says Gerrymander Can Be Gerry-More-Mandered If He Works At It

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s presidential aspirations are growing ever more evident as he inserts himself in the Texas gerrymandering brouhaha – and he’s no longer denying it.

He heralded many of the 57 Texas Democrats who fled to stop the state’s congressional maps from being redrawn to benefit Republicans, all the while deflecting the blatancy of Illinois’ gerrymandering and trivializing it as something drawn by “kindergarteners.”

Instead of advocating for taking mapmaking power away from state lawmakers, whether in Texas or Illinois, he’s embraced the sin: if he believes Illinois needs to counteract new Texas maps that put more Republicans in Congress, he’s considered making Illinois’ maps even more lopsided to send more Illinois Democrats to oppose President Trump.

Pritzker is telling voters that Illinois’ districts aren’t a right for them to express their views and pick their leaders. They’re a tool for political parties, or at least the political party with the most money and power at the moment. In his eyes: two wrongs may not make a right, but when those on the right do it then it’s wrong.

All of which provides a perfect illustration of why Illinois needs fair maps.

The congressional map Pritzker approved in 2021 yielded 14 districts dominated by Democrats and only three downstate districts held by Republicans – after forcing the downstate GOP to battle it out over the shrinking state’s lost seat.

And if there’s any doubt the maps were gerrymandered, just consider Pritzker’s own U.S. representative’s district. The 5th Illinois Congressional District held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley includes Pritzker’s mansion in the Gold Coast neighborhood on Lake Michigan, stretches to Chicago’s far western edge and O’Hare International Airport – where the Texas Democrats arrived Sunday night – and snakes north up to Barrington and other well-heeled suburbs.