Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker are clashing over a mid-decade redistricting push in Texas. Abbott says blue states like Illinois have already maxed out partisan maps, while Pritzker accuses Abbott of undermining democracy to please Donald Trump.
Key Facts:
- Texas Republicans, urged by Donald Trump, are considering a mid-decade redistricting to add up to five GOP seats.
- Abbott claims Illinois is already gerrymandered to the point where Republicans hold only 3 of 17 districts despite Trump winning the state’s popular vote in 2024.
- Pritzker accuses Abbott of trying to strip seats from minority representatives and violating the Voting Rights Act.
- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas mid-decade redistricting in 2003, except for one district.
- Pritzker insists Illinois followed legal procedures after the census, holding public hearings and adjusting maps before approval.
The Rest of The Story:
The dispute centers on Texas Republicans’ plan to redraw congressional maps before the next census. The proposal, backed by former President Trump, seeks to strengthen GOP control in the House by potentially adding five Republican seats.
Governor Abbott dismissed threats from Democrat-led states to retaliate, saying states like Illinois have already squeezed every possible advantage from their maps. “Look at the map in Illinois. They can’t squeeze out another Republican. It’s a joke,” Abbott told a reporter.
Governor Pritzker responded by calling Abbott “the joke,” accusing him of eroding democracy and serving Trump’s political ambitions. He argued that Texas’s plan targets minority-held seats and would break federal law. “He’s taking those votes away,” Pritzker said, framing the move as a constitutional violation.
Welker, the interviewer, pointed out that such mid-decade redistricting is rare but not illegal, citing the 2003 Texas precedent. She also noted Illinois’s partisan advantage despite Trump’s statewide win in 2024, prompting questions of hypocrisy. Pritzker rejected the comparison, saying Illinois acted lawfully after the census, with public input and adjustments to maps.
Pritzker further accused Trump of using redistricting as a political lifeline ahead of the 2026 midterms, calling him “a cheater” and tying the effort to unpopular policies in Texas.
Commentary:
The irony in Pritzker’s outrage is hard to miss. Illinois is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, where Democrats have drawn lines so effectively that Republicans are reduced to holding just three seats out of seventeen. This happened despite a Republican presidential win in the state’s 2024 popular vote — a testament to how strategically the maps have been carved.
Illinois has been losing population for years, bleeding residents to states with lower taxes, fewer regulations, and stronger economic growth. Meanwhile, Texas has been gaining residents in droves, attracting both businesses and individuals from blue states like Illinois, California, and New York. The political shift is as much about migration patterns as it is about map lines.
For Pritzker to call Abbott’s plan an attack on democracy while defending his own partisan map-making is political theater at its finest. Illinois Democrats have ensured their dominance through carefully engineered districts, and they did so under the banner of “following the law.” Abbott’s push, like it or not, is just playing the same game — only this time, it’s in a red state with surging growth.
The reality is that both parties use redistricting as a tool to solidify power. The difference is that Democrat strongholds like Illinois are already at maximum saturation for their party, leaving no room to add seats. Texas, with its rapid growth, has more flexibility to shift representation in its favor.
Pritzker’s comments about “saving democracy” ring hollow. When politicians talk about protecting democracy, they often mean preserving the political system that benefits their side. In this case, it’s about maintaining Democrat power in Congress, not ensuring fair representation.
The accusation that Abbott’s plan would strip minority representation is also worth viewing through a political lens. In Illinois, heavily gerrymandered maps have not been designed to maximize Republican representation — regardless of minority demographics. It’s not a moral stance; it’s a political calculation.
Democrat leaders like Pritzker have supported policies — from unchecked immigration to aggressive social spending — that have strained state budgets and driven away taxpayers. To now claim the mantle of defending the republic is more than a little rich.
If anything, the outrage shows that Democrats fear losing their narrow grip on Congress. With states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee gaining population and influence, the balance of power is shifting — and redistricting is one of the few ways to lock in that momentum before the next election cycle.
In short, this fight isn’t about democracy. It’s about who gets to wield it.
The Bottom Line:
Pritzker’s attack on Abbott over Texas’s mid-decade redistricting plan is steeped in political hypocrisy. Illinois has long used aggressive map-drawing to entrench Democrat power, while losing residents to states like Texas. Abbott’s effort mirrors tactics Democrats have already mastered — but in a state gaining influence. At its core, this battle is about power, not principle, and both sides are playing the same game.
