Pritzker Tells Colbert That Illinois Dems Are Kindergartners?

Written by David E. Smith

During his interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was confronted with the reality of the state’s wildly gerrymandered Congressional Districts.

In a sad attempt to make light of this serious issue, Pritzker tells Colbert that his Democratic predecessors “we handed it over to a kindergartner class and let them decide…”

It would be funny if it weren’t so very serious. The maps disenfranchise conservative voters all across the state and undermine our republican form of government.

While gerrymandering is practiced by both parties, data shows that Democratic strongholds often take it to greater extremes. In the most populous blue states, partisan maps have led to disproportionate representation—disenfranchising conservative voters more severely than Democrats are in red states.

Look no further than Illinois. Its congressional map isn’t just partisan—it’s been called the most shamelessly gerrymandered in the country by veteran political observers in Springfield, Chicago, and beyond.

Some propose algorithmic redistricting—using neutral criteria like population equality, geographic compactness, and political neutrality—as a potential remedy to reduce partisan bias in map-drawing.

If we want to restore trust in our elections and ensure that voters choose their representatives—not the other way around—conservatives must lead with principled solutions that uphold fairness, transparency, and the rule of law.

Here are several reforms that conservatives can and should champion:

1. Independent or Bipartisan Commissions with Real Accountability

When a single party controls a state, the impulse to redraw district maps for maximum political gain is a serious threat to fair elections. The solution is independent redistricting commissions, but they must be held to a high standard. These bodies must be transparent, balanced, and strictly prohibited from giving any party an unfair advantage. We’ve seen so-called “nonpartisan” commissions hijacked by partisan agendas too often, though. To ensure a fair process, conservatives must actively push for balanced representation on these panels, preventing them from becoming another tool for the political establishment.

2. Establish Clear, Objective Criteria for Map-Drawing

The rules for drawing districts should be simple and enforceable: districts must be contiguous, compact, and respect existing political boundaries—like counties, cities, and school districts. Communities with shared interests should be kept together whenever possible. These standards make it harder to draw bizarre, sprawling districts designed only to protect incumbents or entrench one party’s power.

3. Ban Mid-Decade Redistricting Schemes

Redistricting should occur once per decade—after the census. But some partisan actors, including JB Pritzker and his Illinois Democrats, have threatened to redraw the state’s legislative districts mid-decade in retaliation for Republican efforts in states like Texas. Conservatives should push for laws that ban this kind of political gamesmanship.

4. Prohibit the Use of Partisan Data

No map should be drawn with the goal of boosting one political party. Period. Lawmakers and commissions should be prohibited from using party registration data or past election results to engineer safe districts. This would help restore public confidence that elections are fair and not rigged in advance.

5. Fast-Track Judicial Review with Clear Legal Standards

When legal challenges to maps arise, the courts must act swiftly and apply consistent standards. Conservatives should support fast-track judicial review of redistricting cases, with an emphasis on clarity, consistency, and deference to constitutional principles—not judicial activism.

6. State Constitutional Reforms to Lock in Fairness

Some states need deeper reform—starting with their constitutions. Conservatives should push for state-level amendments that enshrine fair redistricting principles and guard against future abuse. These reforms must ensure legislative accountability while preventing left-wing judicial overreach.

7. Expose the Left’s Hypocrisy

It’s no secret that while Democrats scream “gerrymander” in red states, they happily oversee some of the most gerrymandered maps in America. Illinois is a prime example, where Democratic politicians carved up the state’s congressional districts in laughably partisan ways. Exposing this hypocrisy is essential—not just for winning the argument, but for demonstrating that conservatives are serious about real reform.

Bottom Line:

Redistricting reform is essential to preserving a government truly “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” In a constitutional republic, the right to fair representation must rise far above partisan interests. Conservatives have a unique opportunity to lead on this issue—offering principled, constitutionally grounded solutions that promote fairness, integrity, and transparency. By doing so, we not only strengthen our electoral system but help safeguard the very foundation of our republic.