Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is facing accusations of hypocrisy after condemning Texas Republicans for pursuing a mid-decade congressional map redraw while defending his own state’s heavily gerrymandered districts.
During an appearance Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Pritzker criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump for supporting the effort in Texas, alleging that the goal is to gain political advantage before the 2026 elections.
“What Greg Abbott is doing and what Donald Trump is attempting to do is to cheat mid-decade here; they’re attempting to change the map,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker praised Texas House Democrats who have fled to Illinois in an attempt to block the vote on the redistricting plan and other legislative measures.
The Texas House has 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats, but cannot take votes without two-thirds of members present.
According to Pritzker, the proposed Texas map violates the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. He credited Democratic lawmakers for leaving the state to deny Republicans a quorum.
“Thank God to these Texas House Democrats,” Pritzker said.
Governor Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have signaled that they may pursue legal and procedural measures to compel absent lawmakers to return, citing prior state Supreme Court rulings that such walkouts do not override the majority’s ability to govern.
Pritzker accused Abbott of acting “at the behest of the President of the United States,” claiming Trump is pushing for five additional congressional seats through the redistricting process.
“He’s wrong, and he’s attempting to change the game because he passed this big, ugly bill,” Pritzker said.
“It’s hyper unpopular in Texas, among people in Texas and across the country. He knows he’s going to lose the Congress in 2026. That’s why he’s going to his allies and hoping that they can save him. And we’ve all got to stand up against this. This is — it’s cheating. Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives. He cheats at golf. And now he’s trying to cheat the American people out of their votes.”
Republicans in Texas have countered criticism by pointing to gerrymandering in Democrat-led states, including Illinois. In the 2024 elections, Illinois House Republican candidates won 46 percent of the statewide vote but secured only three of the state’s 17 congressional seats.
When pressed on this point by Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, Pritzker was reminded that nonpartisan watchdog groups have graded Illinois with an “F” for fairness in redistricting, describing the state’s map as a prime example of partisan gerrymandering.
“I guess the question is, you talk about preserving democracy, how do you preserve democracy if you’re using the same tactics that you’ve criticized Texas Republicans for?” Welker asked.
Pritzker did not directly answer, calling the comparison a “distraction.”
“The reality is that the violation of people’s voting rights is what Texas is attempting to do. That’s what’s wrong with their efforts right now,” he said.
“And the fact that the President of the United States knows it, and nevertheless is asking them to do it, that is what’s wrong with what we’re seeing right now. Democracy is at stake.”
The Texas redistricting proposal, if enacted, could remove at least five Democrat-majority districts from the state’s current map.
Both sides appear prepared for extended legal and political battles over the new boundaries, with national implications for control of the U.S. House in 2026.
