As RedState previously reported, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), in recent weeks, has entered the chat on the redistricting drama currently playing out between Democrats and Republicans in the Texas state legislature.
Hilariously, the fleeing Texas Dems have portrayed Pritzker as a heroic beacon of democracy despite the fact that Illinois is one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country, thanks in no small part to decades of Democrat reign, including under Pritzker's watch.
Relatedly, some of the Texas Democrats went to New York, another haven for Democrat gerrymandering, where state "leaders" under Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul's watch have worked to carve out more seats for their party in the House of Representatives, using gerrymandering by a supposedly "independent" commission as a tool to try and do just that.
READ MORE: Kathy Hochul Sticks Foot in Mouth During Presser on Texas Redistricting Drama
Interestingly, Pritzker seems to have bitten off more than he can chew on this issue, with even leftist late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert calling him out during a recent "interview" with the governor:
Even Stephen Colbert couldn’t ignore it — he called out JB Pritzker for Illinois’ completely insane gerrymandered maps. When late-night comedians are pointing out how rigged the system is, you know it’s bad. Illinoisans deserve fair representation, not maps drawn to keep… pic.twitter.com/xBIqNi5Tfp
— Illinois Review (@IllinoisReview) August 6, 2025
Pritzker got out of answering the question by quipping that they'd "handed it over to a kindergarten class and let them decide" where the districts would be. He also joked that the class was Illinois' "independent commission."
Some in the media are also raising the question, with Pritzker answering one during a state fair "butter cow" unveiling, where he claimed districts in his state were fairly drawn, and stated that some of them allegedly being "competitive" proved the point:
Pritzker claims he's “absolutely in favor" of eliminating partisan gerrymandering — then says IL’s maps are fairly drawn:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) August 7, 2025
“Just because a map ends up with one party having more seats than another, doesn’t mean it was gerrymandered.”
The gaslighting is off the freakin charts. pic.twitter.com/7mpWAnyfkU
Here's the problem, though. When you look at the Princeton Gerrymander Project's report card for Illinois on the Congressional maps that were enacted in 2021, the state gets an "F" across the board on the categories of "partisan fairness," "competitiveness," and "geographic features":
You are one to speak, JB.
— Sammy D'Souza (@sammydsouza) August 4, 2025
IL's so gerrymandered, Princeton gave it an F pic.twitter.com/DAdg123O25
With all of this playing out, one might be wondering how Pritzker is currently being viewed by his home state. The answer? Not good:
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is on the wrong side of public opinion, with new polling showing most voters view him unfavorably. They cited high taxes as their top concern. The poll should concern Pritzker as he eyes a third term and a White House run.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is underwater for the first time since the Illinois Policy Institute has been measuring his job approval rating, according to a new institute poll conducted by M3 Strategies.
Of the 752 likely voters polled, 47.2% had a favorable view of Pritzker, 50.2% unfavorable and 3% had no opinion. Pritzker was still viewed favorably, but by a slim margin, in late January.
Majority of Illinois voters now disapprove of Pritzker
— Jen (@IlliniJen) August 7, 2025
47.2% approve
50.2% disapprove
$1,237 more per person in taxes
60% say high taxes are the top issue
Turns out “pay more, get less” doesn’t poll well—
unless you’re the undecided 3% who think $1,237 is a subscription fee for… pic.twitter.com/pDgX9jyQkN
7/ His approval rating is tumbling.
— Illinois Policy (@illinoispolicy) August 7, 2025
Frustration over taxes is rising.
And Illinois is still bleeding residents to other states.
Pritzker’s policies aren’t working in Illinois—and voters know it.
And if Pritzker decides to run for president in 2028, rest assured that Americans nationwide are going to be better informed as to these inconvenient facts as well, because Pritzker has opened the door wide open to them by inserting himself into this fight and trying to pass himself off as something he's most definitely not.
Editor’s Note: Please help us continue to report the truth about gaslighting, hypocritical politicians like Gov. Pritzker.
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