Chicago City Wire

15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez is calling for independent redistricting reform in Illinois, accusing Gov. J.B. Pritzker of hypocrisy for criticizing Republican-led map-drawing efforts in other states while defending heavily gerrymandered maps approved under his own administration.

“Voters are being disenfranchised in ways that would make Jim Crow proud,” Lopez told Chicago City Wire. “People should pick their elected officials, not the other way around. As much as Democrats talk about fighting oligarchs, we are routinely making our political elites a ruling class the average voters cannot navigate a challenge to. That is not what the Founding Fathers envisioned for this democratic Republic.”

Lopez’s remarks follow Pritzker’s appearance on Meet the Press on Aug. 10, where the governor voiced support for Texas Democrats who fled their state to block a Republican redistricting proposal, calling the move a defense of democracy. 

15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez | Facebook / Raymond A. Lopez

When asked about Illinois’ own map, which has been rated an “F” for fairness by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, Pritzker declined to address the issue directly.

Pritzker also discussed the topic during an Aug. 6 taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Colbert highlighted the irregular shapes of Illinois’ congressional districts. 

Pritzker joked about the design of the map, saying, “We handed it over to a Kindergarten class and let them decide.” He added, “What we are going to have to do is whatever it takes to preserve Democracy,” referencing his decision to welcome the Texas delegation to Illinois.

In a column published by the Washington Free Beacon, writer Andrew Stiles also criticized Pritzker’s handling of the issue.

“The (Texas) Democrats flew to Illinois, one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, under the protection of Governor J.B. Pritzker (D.), the fat billionaire scion who is desperate to be president,” Stiles wrote.

Lopez said the current system prioritizes political advantage over fairness.

“Power led to this reversal, and a general unwillingness to allow for compact and contiguous maps based on population tracks to be the important constant,” he said.

He also called for structural reform: “Independent maps are needed wherever representative governments exist if you want to ensure fair election processes,” Lopez said. “Sadly, most politicians refuse to give up the power to draw districts.”

DuPage County Republican Chair Kevin Coyne also criticized Pritzker’s position, calling Illinois “the most gerrymandered state in the country” and dismissing the governor’s support for the Texas Democrats as “an embarrassing campaign stunt.”

Senate Minority Leader John Curran and House Minority Leader Tony McCombie similarly accused Pritzker of applying a double standard. They cited the state’s 14–3 Democratic advantage in the congressional delegation despite Republicans earning about 45% of the vote in recent statewide elections.

The Illinois congressional map was signed into law by Pritzker in 2021. It has drawn criticism from multiple watchdog organizations, including Common Cause, which has pointed to Illinois as an example of how partisan control over redistricting can undermine public trust.

Lopez emphasized that political majorities bear responsibility for protecting minority representation.

“It is the responsibility of the majority to respect the rights of the minority,” he said.

He also acknowledged the challenges facing reformers: “Only a true, community driven movement can make that a reality,” Lopez said. “Unfortunately time works against them along with the political battles associated with the taking of a census. The divisionary politics takes center stage over who we count how, before getting to the harder discussion on how to group them back together in legislative districts.”

Illinois’ redistricting history has been shaped by longtime former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who led efforts to maintain Democratic control through redistricting. In 2016, a Fair Maps ballot initiative was blocked by the Illinois Supreme Court, which cited a technicality. The deciding vote came from Justice Thomas Kilbride, a Madigan ally.

Madigan has since been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on bribery and corruption charges. The ruling by Kilbride marked a turning point in Illinois politics, cementing long-term partisan control and leading to efforts by Democrats to redraw judicial districts.