In the last week, the long-running gerrymandering controversy in America has taken a startlingly central turn in Illinois. During his interview with Governor J.B. Pritzker, late-night host Stephen Colbert displayed an oddly drawn Illinois district map and questioned whether the disorganized borders had been created by a group of kindergarteners. This was a particularly tense media moment. Pritzker responded without missing a beat, but the exchange was especially illuminating for many in Illinois and elsewhere. Not because it was humorous, but rather because it brought attention to an issue that has existed for many years.
Illinois has clearly given itself a map that heavily favors one party by depending on maps created by a legislature that is entirely controlled by Democrats and signed into law by a Democratic governor. The 2021 congressional map was given a failing grade, or “F,” by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project because of its excessive partisanship, lack of compactness, and unusually high number of county splits. To put it briefly, the boundaries are purposefully drawn to favor the incumbents who established them, not just because they are badly drawn.
Donald Trump received 44% of the votes cast in Illinois during the 2024 presidential election. However, Republicans currently control just three of the state’s seventeen congressional districts. That disparity appears to be especially deliberate rather than coincidental. For comparison, the GOP would control at least seven or eight districts if seats were allocated in accordance with voting patterns. However, by employing strategies known as “packing” and “cracking,” Democratic strategists made sure that the majority of conservative voters were either dispersed throughout Democratic districts or crammed into a small number of extremely safe Republican ones, greatly diminishing their electoral impact.
Bio Table: JB Pritzker (Key Figure in Illinois Gerrymandering Debate)
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker |
| Date of Birth | January 19, 1965 |
| Political Party | Democratic |
| Current Role | Governor of Illinois |
| Term Start | January 14, 2019 |
| Known For | Businessman, Philanthropist, Democratic Politics |
| Role in Gerrymandering Debate | Accused of endorsing partisan redistricting maps in Illinois |
| Controversy Highlighted By | Stephen Colbert, GOP lawmakers, political reform groups |
| Official Website | https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/gov |
To stop a redistricting vote that was widely perceived as an attempt to eliminate minority influence, Texas Democrats recently left their home state. They were welcomed in Illinois, where Governor Pritzker provided rhetorical support as well as political cover. Critics quickly pointed out the hypocrisy of praising anti-gerrymandering heroes while defending a map that looks equally manipulative at home, demonstrating that the irony was not lost on them.
In keeping with historical trends, Illinois lawmakers enacted their redistricting legislation soon after the 2020 Census. Critics contend that there are still significant issues with the results themselves. Dr. Justin Coffey, a political scientist, pointed out that although gerrymandering has been practiced since the 1800s, it is now much more rapid and sophisticated thanks to voter data tools and map-drawing software. Legislators can now engineer safe seats with astonishing accuracy thanks to precision targeting, which turns elections into formalities rather than actual competitions.
Common people can now test and view alternative maps thanks to surprisingly inexpensive tools like Districtr and Dave’s Redistricting App. It is evident that more equitable options were available because some of these publicly submitted maps offer noticeably better compactness and competitiveness. Reformers contend that a professional legislature can perform better if volunteers can create equitable maps with free software.
Gerrymandering does more than just skew representation when considering the overall health of democracy. It steadily undermines institutional trust. Turnout declines when voters believe their ballots are manipulated or have no meaning. The voices of minorities are diminished. Polarization in politics increases. Furthermore, governance based on consensus becomes all but impossible.
Republican lawmakers in Illinois, such as Representative Kyle Moore and State Senator Jil Tracy, have been especially outspoken about the risks. Since the current process leaves out large portions of Illinois’ conservative and rural population, they have introduced bills to establish an independent commission to create future maps. “We have to abandon a system that allows politicians to select their constituents rather than the other way around,” Moore said.
These lawmakers are hoping to resurrect efforts that stalled during the pandemic by capitalizing on public frustration. A proposed state constitutional amendment backed by more than 67% of the public, the Fair Maps Amendment, was not even given a hearing in 2020. For reformers who had gathered statewide coalitions and garnered cross-party support in favor of transparency, this lack of progress was especially discouraging.
It’s interesting to note that even Democrats in Illinois have begun to voice displeasure with the aggressiveness with which their own party has seized power. Even though it might be advantageous strategically, there is a chance that it will undermine public trust in the democratic process over time. “If both parties become skilled gerrymanderers, the real losers will be the voters—left with unresponsive leaders and fake choices,” stated one League of Women Voters activist.
The nation commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act in the same week that Illinois’ political map garnered national attention. “Every citizen, regardless of race or zip code, deserves an equal voice in our democracy,” Pritzker wrote in a public statement. The governor’s remarks struck a particularly hollow chord with Republican lawmakers. Senator Tracy remarked, “We hear the rhetoric.” “However, the maps he signed depict a completely different picture.”
Advocacy groups like Common Cause Illinois and the Better Government Association are advancing the cause of autonomous map-making through strategic alliances. These organizations contend that entrusting the process to a commission headed by citizens would be extremely effective and devoid of political influence. The governor’s recent actions seem to contradict his stated support for fair mapping. However, there is still a chance for substantive reform, possibly in the upcoming cycle.
