CHICAGO — As the redistricting battle plays out across the county, political leaders in Illinois are staying quiet about their plans to redraw congressional maps here.
But under intense pressure from democrats in Washington D.C., the debate is starting to spill out into public view.
At Rainbow Push headquarters on Wednesday, influential Black local lawmakers left a closed-door meeting about a plan to change the Illinois congressional map.
“We’ve read it in the press, we’ve heard it in the press, but we’ve never saw a map,” State Senator Willie Preston said.
“We cannot take a position on something we have not seen,” State Senator Lakeisha Collins said.
Last weekend, the Democratic leader in Congress Hakeem Jeffries met with Black lawmakers to pitch a new map that could help Democrats pick up another seat in Illinois.
“This was informational amongst the members of state legislative body,” Congressman Jonathan Jackson said.
Illinois’ current congressional delegation has 14 Democrats and three Republicans. Sources say Jeffries plan would most likely target Congressman Darren LaHood. His current district runs from Illinois’ northern border to part of Chicago’s southwest suburbs.
A less likely target might be Congresswoman Mary Miller, who represents much of central and western Illinois.
“There are three or four different alignments and proposals to view, and I think we’re still working on those,” Congressman Danny Davis said.
But to do so the Black lawmakers fear shifting boundaries might make one their seats less safe.
“Black people in America have given the Democratic Party all we can give,” Preston said. “We’re team players but if there is a map that comes about that dilutes the Black vote, that’s going to be a map that going to be met with real resistance.”
“We’re having an open mind but we’re also listening to each other and thinking about what the long-term effects could be as well,” Lakeshia Collins said.
Democrats in Washington have been looking to states that might be able to remap in an effort to counter President Trump’s push to have GOP-leaning states redraw their boundaries to favor more Republicans.
“It’s my expectation that Illinois’ Democrats are going to carefully consider their options and make sure that they draw the fairest map possible for the people of that great,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who’s faced GOP criticism for signing into law a politically gerrymandered map, will only say the current plan is not his proposal but if Republicans are tweaking maps across the country, Illinois should help level the playing field.
“I have to say if the President of the United States is cheating across the county by getting Republican legislators and governors to pass unconstitutional anti-voting rights act, redistrict mid-decade, them I don’t see Democratic governors or legislatures have to sit on the side,” he said.
Political strategist Maze Jackson says if a vote on new map is called, it would put the Legislative Black Caucus in tough spot.
“I think that this group of lawmakers is going to be a little more – hopefully is going to be a little more transactional,” Jackson said. “We’ve seen in the past attempts to claw away Black power previous to this so I would help before they give up any power they would definitely make sure they’ve secured their power for years to go. … Black lawmakers have to look at this map and see what is the real value? If they’re going to have their power diluted for the next 20 years based on picking up one congressional seat, then I think they’re really going to have to ask is it worth it?
Even legislative leaders at the statehouse will not admit to having seen a new Illinois map. But the Springfield veto session is expected to conclude next week. So Illinois changes the map, it has to happen then.
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