I assume you’ve already read about the Democratic state lawmakers from Texas who escaped to Illinois in order to stop their home state’s congressional district lines from being redrawn in a way that was supported by Republicans. Because of their absence, their legislature lacks the necessary number of members to operate lawfully.
In order to avoid more financial harm to his state, Governor JB Pritzker, like all Democratic governors, wants his party to regain control of the US House the next year. This is why he is paying close attention to Texas’s quest to gain five seats through an intercensus remap.
Governor Pritzker is also somewhat retaliating in public relations for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to send tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to Chicago some time ago.
In addition, Pritzker’s national reputation is raised by the media-friendly press conferences and public appearances before a potential presidential run.
As part of his own national aspirations, California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed holding a referendum in November to redesign the state’s districts. Therefore, Pritzker can claim to be taking action by hosting Texas Democrats who have fled their state.
The monthly salary for state lawmakers in Texas is $600. Each of them has a legitimate employment. In 2021, Texas Democrats again walked out over a voting rights bill; however, a quorum was restored and three Democrats returned to the state, ending the impasse five weeks later.
Texas is not the first state to use intercensus redistricting. Texas’ congressional borders were set by a federal judge in 2001, but the Republican-controlled state legislature redrawn them in 2003 (after another unsuccessful Democratic walkout), which led to significant GOP victories in 2004. In retribution, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan declined to redo the state’s maps.
Currently, 82 percent of our 17 congressional seats are held by Democrats from Illinois. Our state is substantially gerrymandered.
Currently, Republicans in Texas control 66 percent of the 35 congressional seats in that state. Texas Republicans may theoretically gain five more seats through the redraw, giving them 79 percent of the state’s districts—still just a little less than Illinois’ congressional gerrymander.
However, it’s not quite that easy because Texas is allegedly planning to dismantle minority-majority districts in order to violate the Voting Rights Act. There was no comparable problem with the Illinois congressional map.
Redrawing Illinois’ congressional boundaries to elect a different Democrat is a possibility, according to Pritzker. However, last week was the start of the Illinois petition circulation process.
Redrawing congressional districts here may need either a separate primary for each US Representative or a return to the original primary process for all candidates unless it is completed relatively quickly.
Diluting existing Democratic districts with more Republicans to create space for another Democratic district is the most effective strategy to achieve this goal. Additionally, some Democratic incumbents might get anxious about elections after 2026 as a result.
When questioned by reporters late last week, Governor JB Pritzker admitted that no one had worked on an Illinois map.
Spokesman for Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch both affirmed Pritzker’s comments.
This remap doesn’t seem to be taking place here.
Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), meanwhile, is named as the only Illinois lawyer in a state complaint filed in her home county of Adams County on behalf of a number of Republican Texas lawmakers, requesting that Illinois courts help Texas make the skedaddled Democrats pay their dues.
Ironically, when the Democrats sought to modify some judicial circuit borders a few years ago, Tracy’s Senate Republican caucus attempted to momentarily close their chamber.
Their complaint is founded on very thin gruel because Texas has issued civil warrants for the apprehension of the politicians who have fled, especially since Illinois prohibits its police from cooperating with federal civil warrants issued by immigration authorities. In this case, outside civil warrants simply have little significance.
The complaint claims that under the Full Faith and Credit clause of the US Constitution, Illinois is required to respect and grant full faith and credit to the public acts of the Texas House of Representatives, including the Quorum Order and the Quorum Warrants.
In addition to a post-haste hearing where the southern state can provide proof of Respondents’ deliberate attempts to evade Texas law, the plaintiffs want the Texas Democrats punished in contempt.
Be ready for a potential first victory by the Texans, as President Trump carried Adams County with 73 percent of the vote last year. However, I firmly believe that the state’s predominately Democratic Supreme Court would never support any form of incarceration or punishment.
To put it another way, the majority of stuff is symbolic, even the regrettably predictable fictitious bomb threats at the suburban hotel where the Texas Democrats are staying, let’s hope.
In addition, Rich Miller is the publisher of CapitolFax.com and Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter.
