J.B. Pritzker calls runaway Texas Democrats ‘heroes,’ vows to provide ‘safe haven’ in Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Democrats who fled to Illinois to prevent Texas Republicans from drawing new congressional maps, are “heroes,” welcome to stay in his political backyard.

“We’re providing them a safe haven, a place for them to visit and stay, breaking quorum, because they’re heroes that are standing up not just for their own constituents and for the people of Texas and their rights but also for the rights of people all across the country,” Mr. Pritzker said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” 

“What [Texas Governor] Greg Abbott is doing and what [President] Donald Trump is attempting to do is to cheat mid-decade here.”

Gov. Abbott, a Republican, called a special session to take up the new map proposal.

Dozens of Democrats responded by fleeing to the blue states of Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to prevent the GOP-led Texas Legislature from having the quorum needed to act on the new map.

The proposed new lines would reshape the districts for five congressional seats currently held by Democrats, giving the Republican Party better odds of maintaining control of the U.S. House in the 2026 election.

Democrats have bashed the effort as partisan and warned that such a move hurts minority communities.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has warned that his state will retaliate if Texas follows through by asking voters to approve a new California map that would “nullify” any GOP gains in Texas.

Mr. Abbott, meanwhile, has accused Texas Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, of leading the effort and sought to remove him from office through a petition filed with the Texas Supreme Court.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican running for re-election, has said the FBI has agreed to search for the Texas Democrats who abandoned the state.

Mr. Abbott also has criticized Democratic leaders, including Mr. Pritzker, and called some of the congressionally approved maps in blue states a “joke.”

Mr. Pritzker fired back Sunday, defending his state’s congressional map.

“Governor Abbott is the joke,” Mr. Pritzker said. “He’s the one who is attempting mid-decade here, 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.

“He’s attempting to thwart federal law and take away five seats that are in the hands of Black, Brown, minority congresspeople and the people that they represent. He’s taking those votes away. He’s violating the Constitution.”

Mr. Pritzker also dismissed the idea that federal law enforcement would be tracking down the Texas Democrats.