Pritzker Signs Gerrymandered Congressional Map
Part of the new Democratic-drawn congressional map, signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker Tuesday. The map gives Democrats advantages in 14 of the state’s 17 new congressional districts.
As expected, Governor JB Pritzker Tuesday signed the new Democrat-drawn congressional map into law. Also as expected, opponents were quick to criticize him for breaking a campaign promise.
From the Governor’s news release:
fter reviewing the General Assembly's congressional maps drawn with 2020 U.S. Census data, Governor JB Pritzker signed the new U.S. House district map that reflects Illinois' diversity and preserves minority representation in Illinois' delegation in accordance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
"These maps align with the landmark Voting Rights Act and will ensure all communities are equitably represented in our congressional delegation," said Governor JB Pritzker.
A landmark achievement of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act prohibits practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a protected language minority group. Building on and strengthening that consequential law, the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 ensures redistricting plans are crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power. The maps signed into law today meet those requirements by creating a second district of significant Latinx representation that reflects the community’s rapid growth on the west side of Chicago.
The district boundaries also account for population changes in the state, particularly in the regions that saw the most population loss as recorded by 2020 U.S. Census.
Good government groups and Republicans were quick to criticize the Governor.
Madeleine Doubek of CHANGE Illinois:
Never before have Illinoisans seen such a brazen show of how corrosive politician-led redistricting can be for voters and communities across the state. For the third time, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a map, mired in a process lacking transparency, putting partisan self-interests above the needs of people in communities across the state.
The result is a congressional map of predetermined winners and losers in nearly all seventeen districts. The map is undemocratic and leaves all voters without choices, undermining the very elections that are supposed to allow voters to hold officials accountable.
The culmination of the legislative and congressional remapping further exemplifies the need for redistricting to be placed in the hands of independent commissioners who have no political or personal incentives to pervert redistricting as a tool to silence people and secure power for the few. We must forge a better path forward that empowers people in communities with fair elections so they can define their futures.
Current and future generations of Illinoisans deserve fair maps.
GOP gubernatorial candidate and Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia):
“While Illinoisans are busy getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, Pritzker decided to continue breaking his own campaign promises by signing another gerrymandered and hyper-partisan map. It's clear that J.B. and the Illinois Democratic Party have completely abandoned the working people and families of this state. Instead of promoting fair and independent maps, they’re pushing gerrymandered maps that favor politicians over the rights of Illinois voters to elect people who represent them and their best interests. I will continue fighting for working families, our freedoms, and a stronger and better Illinois. It's time to hold politicians accountable and change Springfield, and it's time all of our elected leaders put the people first."
It isn’t yet clear if any lawsuits will be filed by either the GOP or an outside group to challenge the map.