WATCH: Illinois Democrats talk redistricting to ‘neutralize’ Republicans

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois lawmakers are having conversations about changing the state’s congressional map.

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, visited both Chicago and Springfield Monday to lobby for redistricting in Illinois.

Pritzker spoke with reporters outside the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday morning and was asked if Democrats in the General Assembly might pass redistricting legislation during the fall veto session.

“Oh sure, I think it’s possible. This is all about the fact that Donald Trump is now trying to, well, rig the game,” Pritzker said.

The governor said redistricting does not have to happen during the remaining three days of fall veto session this week, but it could happen after that.

“Right now, I think there’s just a lot of conversation going on,” Pritzker said.

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie was also in Springfield Monday to file nominating petitions at the state board of elections.

“If we saw any changes on the congressional map, I think it would be a mistake for the governor to go ahead and sign that,” McCombie said. “I think ultimately it would hurt him. I think it would change the representation of the Black caucus and I think it would put the 17th congressional, which is where I live, at much more risk.”

Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, filed his petition to run for the U.S. Senate next year. He told reporters outside the Illinois State Board of Elections he would not tell the General Assembly what to do, but congressional maps should be fair across the country.

“If the Republicans are going to rig certain states against Democrats, then we need to act to neutralize it,” Krishnamoorthi said. “At the end of the day, I’m hoping Republicans just give up this fruitless exercise.”

Christian Maxwell is a Republican running for the U.S. House seat in Illinois’ 1st Congressional District.

“I don’t think we need to keep maneuvering our congressional maps unless we’re going to say, ‘Hey, we’re not doing gerrymandering any more.’ Congressional maps should not be so confusing where, when I ask somebody, ‘Hey what district are you in?’ They’re like, ‘Well I was in this one and I just don’t know.’ That’s not fair,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell said Illinois’ map is a mess, but it should be left alone if it’s not fixed to make it fair.