Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks on the New Hampshire Democratic Celebration McIntyre-Shaheen Dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., April 27, 2025.
Sophie Park | Reuters
Democratic lawmakers on Sunday defended their colleagues’ efforts in Texas to counter a GOP-led redistricting push, and chided President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott over what they argue is “dishonest” and “outrageous.”
“[Abbott’s] the one who’s trying, mid-decade right here, at a time when, frankly, all of us are involved about the way forward for democracy, he is actually serving to whittle it away and licking the boots of his chief, Donald Trump,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker advised NBC News.
Pritzker — whose state has grow to be a haven for Texas Democrats protesting the GOP-led effort — rejected the concept congressional maps in Illinois are politically gerrymandered, arguing that the maps had been redrawn after the census, which, he stated, is “the way it’s finished on this nation.”
“That is … it is dishonest,” he stated of the proposed Texas redistricting. “Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives, he cheats at golf, and now he is attempting to cheat the American folks out of their votes.”
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for touch upon Pritzker’s remarks.
The feud over the redrawn congressional maps in Texas has escalated in latest days, as Democratic lawmakers left the state to stop Republicans from having a quorum within the state Home. In Texas, a quorum is the variety of members that have to be current so as to conduct enterprise, in line with the Texas Home’s website. Two-thirds of the elected members represent a quorum in every home.
The brand new maps might enhance Republicans’ possibilities of selecting up 5 Home seats within the state, giving the GOP an edge in what’s going to probably be a razor-thin battle for management of the decrease chamber subsequent yr.
Whereas Republicans in Texas press ahead with their bid for brand spanking new maps, Democratic lawmakers additionally stated Sunday that the celebration has “received to struggle again” towards the redistricting plan.
“Trump is the one who got here up with the concept,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, stated on CNN of redistricting.
“It’s undemocratic, it’s outrageous,” he stated, whereas including that Democrats “haven’t any alternative” however to struggle again towards the hassle.
“If Republicans are doing it, you must reply, it is pathetic, however I feel you must reply,” stated Sanders, who has opposed gerrymandering previously.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated on Fox News that “these occasions name for combating fireplace with fireplace,” and instructed that the redistricting struggle is happening as a result of Trump is anxious about subsequent yr’s midterm elections.
“Why are we right here at the moment? As a result of Donald Trump regarded on the polls for subsequent yr,” she stated.
Abbott, in the meantime, slammed the Democratic lawmakers who fled his state and once more claimed that they are going to be arrested upon return.
“In the event that they present again up within the state of Texas, they are going to be arrested and brought to the Capitol,” he stated on Fox News. “In the event that they need to evade that arrest, they will keep outdoors of the state of Texas for actually years.”
Abbott additionally threatened to maintain the Texas legislature in a particular session indefinitely till the matter is resolved.
“I am licensed to name a particular session each 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And as quickly as this one is over, I am gonna name one other one, then one other one, then one other, then one other one,” the governor stated.