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Pritzker was defending a group of Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois to block a vote on new congressional maps and other GOP-backed legislation. Texas law requires two-thirds of state House members to be present for business to proceed, meaning the absence of dozens of Democrats has brought legislative work to a halt.
Texas Republicans, led by Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have vowed to take legal and procedural steps to compel the lawmakers to return, pointing to past state Supreme Court rulings that found such walkouts have no legal basis to override the will of the majority.
Pritzker doubled down on his claims, saying, “What he’s doing is at the behest of the President of the United States, who is clearly attempting to, and says that he deserves to have five more seats. He’s wrong, and he’s attempting to change the game because he passed this big, ugly bill.”
“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.”
However, Republicans quickly pointed out that Pritzker’s outrage over Texas redistricting rings hollow given Illinois’ own map-drawing history. In 2024, GOP candidates for the U.S. House won 46 percent of the statewide vote — yet the party only secured 3 out of 17 congressional seats. Independent watchdog groups have consistently given Illinois an “F” rating for fairness, calling it one of the most skewed maps in the nation.
This glaring contradiction wasn’t lost on Meet The Press host Kristen Welker, who directly confronted Pritzker. “And 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?” she asked.
Rather than answer, Pritzker dismissed the question entirely, labeling it 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,” Pritzker replied. “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.”
Critics say the exchange exposed Pritzker’s double standard: condemning redistricting when Republicans do it, but defending the practice when it benefits Democrats in Illinois. The moment also highlighted the ongoing battle over who controls congressional boundaries ahead of the next election cycle — and just how far each party is willing to go to protect its turf.
