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Speaker Welch: ‘We haven’t had any conversations regarding redoing our maps in the middle of a decade’
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * House Speaker Chris Welch was in Bloomington this week…
Despite all the media hype and the governor’s hinting around, it was just never gonna happen. The Democrats are pretty much maxed out now and diluting districts could put members in jeopardy down the road. Filing season is also well underway. And what sort of message would it send after hosting those fleeing Democratic Texas legislators if Illinois Dems did to Illinois Republicans what the Texas Republicans did to their Democrats?
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- George Ryan Reynolds - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:06 pm:
I think the messaging around this point is “well, we gotta fight fire with fire; we’re not sitting back and taking it, etc.”
And what sort of message would it send after hosting those fleeing Democratic Texas legislators if Illinois Dems did to Illinois Republicans what the Texas Republicans did to their Democrats?
- Welllllllllll - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:12 pm:
The message it sends is that if the GOP is going to cheat we’re going not going to just let them. We’re going to do everything we can to stand in their way. That’s the message. This isn’t normal times
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:14 pm:
===if the GOP is going to cheat we’re going not going to just let them===
lol
I got news for you: Illinois already massively gerrymandered its congressional districts to the point where it can’t safely (partisan-wise) do more.
- Welllllllllll - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:15 pm:
If we can do more, we should. An eye for an eye on this one. I’m not interested in rational calm politics as our republic is crumbling. We have to do everything we can to stop them.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:21 pm:
===I’m not interested in rational calm politics===
Clearly, because if you were interested in that, you’d realize that your idea could wind up losing your party a seat or two in 2028.
- Garfield Ridge Guy - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:28 pm:
The best way to thwart Republican efforts is building lots and lots of housing in Illinois very soon.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:40 pm:
This state is a poster child for what is wrong with gerrymandering but that said the Democratic Party won and winners draw the map
I think the best way to beat the Republicans is to cross over and vote for Bailey And Devore in the primary or just quote mii i st of them on what they stand for. Bailey or Devore going to any memorials for Jim Edgar?
- I-55 Fanatic - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:47 pm:
I know this is a moot point, but just for sake of saying: Illinois Dems could definitely squeeze in 1 more blue seat without significantly putting anyone at risk. It’s if they were to go for 2 or 3 more seats when Budzinski, Sorensen, and Underwood would start to sweat in 2028.
- Trinity - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 2:56 pm:
This is not about blue or red districts. This is about democracy itself. After Texas, all bets are off. The Dems hiding behind decorum are about to get a wake up call. Voters are watching.
The House is bleeding members. The Senate President is busy dodging his $10M fine. A shake up might be exactly what we need.
Immigrants and Mexican Americans are not being heard. This is not just about districts. It is about erasing Latino/Mexican American voices from power.
Illinois has the second largest Mexican population in the country. The representation does not reflect the population. If the Senate wants to continue to play games & waste tax payer dollars, then let’s reshuffle, deal & play to win a bigger pot this time.
- Leatherneck - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 3:25 pm:
=Bailey or Devore going to any memorials for Jim Edgar?=
Someone also needs to ask Bailey and Devore to honestly admit who they voted for in the 1990 election. Edgar or Hartigan. Back when both of Bailey and Devore’s home counties (Clay and Bond respectively) were still Democratic hotspots and the last time Bond County voted for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate (Hartigan). (Poshard was the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate to carry Clay County in 1998).
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 17, 25 @ 3:27 pm:
Poor message Mr. Speaker. The crowd is already rowdy about the wimpy Dem response to MAGA attacks on democracy.
=== The Democrats are pretty much maxed out now and diluting districts could put members in jeopardy down the road. ===
Be honest Mr. Speaker - This is the correct answer. I don’t have access to the data, but it looks like the Dems have milked this map for all they can get.
=== And what sort of message would it send after hosting those fleeing Democratic Texas legislators if Illinois Dems did to Illinois Republicans what the Texas Republicans did to their Democrats? ===
Not an actual worry, but if remap was a possibility IL Dems would tell them that we will join CA in pushing back on the egregious actions you tried to stop.