Rhonda Belford: Democrats can't fight for democracy in Texas while undermining it in Illinois

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

Gov. JB Pritzker is once again talking about gerrymandering — just not in Illinois.
This week, he welcomed Texas Democratic legislators to Oakwood, Illinois, to denounce Republican redistricting efforts in that state. But while Pritzker lectures red states about fairness, he continues to ignore the glaring problems in his own backyard.
Don't forget that in 2021, Pritzker signed one of the most blatantly and aggressively gerrymandered congressional maps in the country, drawn and passed by his own party. The map created districts with lines that make my grandchildren's scribblings look like Pablo Picasso's.
That map gave Democrats a clear advantage in 14 of Illinois' 17 congressional districts and earned an 'F' for fairness from the nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project. The maps weren't an accident. They deliberately cut out two Republican-leaning seats and helped lock in Democratic control.
It's a stark contrast from when Pritzker was on the campaign trail. He promised to veto any map that was 'in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies.' Pritzker campaigned with a message of hope and fairness and moving past Democrats' history of corruption. Then, at his first opportunity, Pritzker broke that promise without hesitation. 'Fairness' wasn't on Illinois Democrats' minds.
Now, as he positions himself to run for president, Pritzker is outraged. While standing on his giant soapbox and projecting his moral authority, he floated the idea of redrawing even more favorable maps in Illinois. That's not democratic leadership; it's partisan gamesmanship.
Let that sink in: The same man who signed, supported and pushed one of the worst partisan gerrymanders in the nation is now upset that other states are following his lead. Instead of looking in the mirror or pushing for national changes, Pritzker responds by threatening additional partisan moves that will continue to divide our state.
Illinois families deserve better. They deserve fair representation, not districts drawn in backrooms to silence opposition and insulate power. When maps are rigged to favor one party, voters lose faith in our elections and our country's founding principles.
The truth is, with Democratic supermajorities in Springfield, there's no one who can force Illinois Democrats to do the right thing and clean up partisan games — they need to do it themselves. If Pritzker truly wants to lead on voting rights and gerrymandering, he should start by honoring the promise he made to Illinois voters: to support an independent redistricting commission and end partisan gerrymandering in our state.
Until then, his speeches about fairness will continue to ring hollow. You can't fight for democracy in Texas while undermining it in Illinois.
Editorial: Illinois Supreme Court, it's time — finally — to act on gerrymanderingThe phrase 'fix your own house before criticizing your neighbor' has never been more apt. And until Pritzker refuses to rein in Illinois' partisan splintering map, his lectures about Texas ring hollow.
Gerrymandering matters, and both Republicans and Democrats should do their part in making sure that there is a system that doesn't play political games. But our country won't learn how to draw better maps from the man who inked Illinois' most gerrymandered script.
Before our governor lectures Texas on fairness, he should take a long, hard look at his own record — and start living up to the promises he made to the people of Illinois.