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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told Kristen Welker on NBC’s "Meet the Press" that Texas Republicans are trying to "cheat" by redistricting their congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Welker asked how he can criticize Texas Republicans for something that Illinois Democrats have done to an even greater degree.

"Governor Abbott is the joke," Pritzker said. "At a time when, frankly, all of us are concerned about the future of democracy, he's literally helping whittle it away and licking the boots of his leader, Donald Trump."

"Here in Illinois, we followed the law. We provided a map and passed a map that follows the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution and the laws of the state of Illinois. He's attempting to thwart federal law and take away five seats that are in the hands of Black, Brown, minority Congress people and the people that they represent," he said. "He's taking those votes away. He's violating the Constitution. And all of us need to stand up and speak out and make sure that it's understood across the country that what they're trying to do in Texas is illegal."


NBC's Kristen Welker asked about the congressional map in Illinois, where "despite President Trump winning 44% of the statewide vote in 2024, Republicans hold only three of Illinois' 17 districts."

"These districts seem to be designed to maximize Democratic advantage," Welker asked. "What do you say to those who argue that it's hypocritical for you to criticize Texas for partisanship, when your state also drew maps to boost your party's standing?"

"Texas is trying to violate the Voting Rights Act. We didn't," Pritzker said. "A map was passed, and it was done at the end of the census, the decennial census. So that's how it's done in this country. You talked about how rare it is to do what he’s doing. Yes, it is. What’s even rarer is to do it at the behest of the president of the United States, who's clearly attempting to and says that he deserves to have five more seats."

"Every major group that grades the fairness of congressional maps gives your state an 'F,'" Welker followed up. "You talk about preserving democracy. How do you preserve democracy if you're using the same tactics that you've criticized Texas Republicans for?"

"What they're talking about is 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 said.

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