Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has told NPR if Texas and other Republican majority states redraw new congressional districts outside the usual schedule after census periods, Illinois and blue states might follow the political escalation.
"None of us want to do it. None of us want to go through a redistricting process. But if we're forced to, it's something we'll consider doing," said Pritzker in an interview during All Things Considered.
Republicans have accused states like Illinois of gerrymandering for Democrats — 43-44% of Illinois voters chose Donald Trump last year. The GOP holds less than 18% of the state's congressional seats.
Pritzker said Republican map makers are trying to disenfranchise Black and brown voters by violating norms about when redistricting is supposed to happen.
"These same Republicans who are complaining about the way maps are drawn in Democratic states, they're the ones that are drawing maps in their states that are quite unfair," said Pritzker.
Pritzker defended the fairness of Illinois maps and said a discrepancy in representation vs a state voting record in presidential contests doesn't mean districts are unlawful.
“We followed the Voting Rights Act. We did that when we passed our map back in 2021. Texas Republicans now don't want to follow that,” said Pritzker.
Texas Democratic state lawmakers have fled to Illinois to prevent a quorum that would allow the GOP redistrict. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the state's senior senator, has called on the FBI to apprehend the lawmakers. President Trump said the FBI, “may have to get involved.”
“There are no federal laws involved here. This is just a threat, an empty threat," said Pritzker. "They think they can intimidate these lawmakers into going back home. They have no plans to go back home until they know that there's going to be a fair process to deliver emergency funding for the victims of the floods and not make it about redistricting.”
Pritzker said Illinois will not pay the fines Texas Republicans have threatened to levy against the absent Democratic lawmakers. Republicans also have called for their removal from office.
“This is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. They've tossed all the rules out there. They're torching every norm. They've shown us that they'll stop at nothing to give themselves absolute power. And Democrats, well, we're standing up. We're showing them that we are not going to give in,” said Pritzker.
