Pritzker defends Illinois’ gerrymandered map on Colbert show, amid Texas redistricting drama

(WTVO) — As Illinois shelters Texas Democrats who fled their state to stop a redistricting vote, Gov. JB Pritzker appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where the host confronted him with Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered electoral map.

The Texas legislators left their state last weekend, denying a voting quorum after Republicans introduced a redrawn legislative map that would earn the GOP five new seats in the U.S. Congress.

The Illinois Governor subsequently put himself in the fray by offering the Democratic legislators safe haven in his state.

During the interview, Colbert confronted Pritzker with a map of Illinois’ current legislative map, adopted in 2024. Currently, 14 of 17 Illinois districts favor Democrats.

“If you are considering doing a little more redrawing in Illinois, you already have some crazy districts in Illinois. Take a look at this. Look at [district] 17 here. It does that, then it comes up here, and it sneaks around there and goes all the way up here and then goes right over there like that,” Colbert said. “Is this common for all states to do?”

Pritzker, who once campaigned on the promise to have an independent commission draw Illinois’ maps, eventually supported maps produced by his fellow democrats in 2024. Republicans later appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, claiming the map was “rigged” to unfairly favor Democrats.

In 2020, Illinois Democrats also faced controversy for redrawing congressional voting blocks to favor themselves.

Responding to Colbert, Pritzker joked that a kindergarten class drew the map, and that was his “independent commission.”

“So because all states to a certain extent do this, why is what Texas [is] doing particularly egregious in this case?” Colbert asked.

Pritzker said voting maps are traditionally redrawn after each U.S. Census, every 10 years, and criticized the Texas legislature’s midterm effort.

“That is extraordinarily rare,” Pritzker said. “And the way they are doing it is taking voting rights away from Black and Brown people. They are literally obliterating districts that were written according to the Voting Rights Act. So this is going to end up in court if they are actually able to do it.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has called for the Democratic legislators to return to their elected duties and has threatened to fine, arrest, or remove them from office for job abandonment.

In response, California and New York have threatened to redraw their legislative maps to cancel out Republican gains in the Lone Star State.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Democrats in his state are pursuing plans for mid-decade redistricting, which could be “triggered” depending on what happens in Texas.

“We’re going to fight fire with fire,” Newsom said. “We also will punch above our weight in terms of the impact of what we’re doing, and I think that should be absorbed by those in the Texas delegation. Whatever they are doing will be neutered here in the state of California.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said she was exploring “every option” to redraw congressional lines and reviewing legal strategies “to stop this brazen assault.” 

“You have to fight fire with fire,” she said, adding, “all’s fair in love and war.”

According to The Hill, Ohio and Florida have floated their own plans to redraw voting lines.

Republicans currently hold a narrow 219-212 majority in the U.S. House.

Pritzker has emerged as one of the Democrats’ most vocal opponents of President Donald Trump. He was under consideration to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024.

Pritzker has also done numerous interviews on national broadcasts since Trump was sworn in, increasing his visibility as one of Trump’s most vocal critics and provoking speculation that he may run for president in 2028.