By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(THE CENTer Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging states like Illinois to redraw congressional maps, but voting rights group CHANGE Illinois warns that such pressure risks undermining transparency and public trust in the redistricting process.

In his Proposition 50 victory speech, Newsom criticized President Donald Trump and urged states to “meet the moment.”

“We need our friends in New York, Illinois, and Colorado,” said Newsom. “We need to see other states, the remarkable leaders that have been doing remarkable things, meet this moment head on and recognize what we’re up against in 2026.”

Illinois ethics advocates quickly raised concerns that outside pressure could undermine public trust. Ryan Tolley, executive director of Chicago-based voting rights group CHANGE Illinois, said the state’s 2021 congressional maps are already “highly partisan gerrymandered.”

“For Illinois, the challenge is that our maps are already heavily drawn to favor one party,” Tolley said. “Any attempt to redraw them would likely come at the expense of Black voting power and diminish representation for Black communities, since creating a new district would probably split voters further in Cook County and Chicago.”

Tolley also noted that redrawing congressional maps outside of the normal post-census cycle is highly unusual.

“Maps typically aren’t redrawn unless there’s a lawsuit or federal requirements, such as compliance with the Voting Rights Act,” he said.

Calls from outside leaders, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, may increase pressure on Illinois lawmakers, but Tolley said the state has so far resisted.

“For Illinois, if leaders keep threatening to gerrymander our maps in response to Indiana, officials there might decide it’s not worth it because Illinois would just offset them,” said Tolley. “Some of that may just be political rhetoric meant to discourage Republican-led states from moving forward with their own remaps.”

Tolley suggested restoring confidence through reforms like a state Voting Rights Act or an independent redistricting commission.

“There are a lot of ways Illinois leaders could turn a bad situation into an opportunity to rebuild public trust,” Tolley said. “They could pass real reforms to make redistricting less political or give voters tools to protect themselves from disenfranchisement, especially from racial gerrymandering.”

Texas’ latest redistricting push has renewed debate over the Voting Rights Act after the Department of Justice quietly dropped a related lawsuit in March 2025.

The Department of Justice sued Texas in 2021, alleging its maps diluted minority voting power, but the case ended before any ruling.

While some framed their redistricting actions as a response to federal scrutiny, others pointed to openly partisan motives.

“President Trump very publicly said Texas officials should go find Republicans five more seats,” Tolley noted, suggesting the process was more about political gain than compliance with voting protections.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a Louisiana case that could weaken or strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans racial discrimination in redistricting. With that law’s future uncertain, states like New York and Colorado have passed their own versions to protect minority voters.

Any effort to redraw congressional maps in Illinois would face significant logistical challenges, Tolley said, including possible adjustments to the primary election schedule. Lawmakers could theoretically act in a special session without a ballot referendum.