In a high-stakes skirmish over a GOP scheme to squeeze more House seats out of Texas, a buffer against losses in next year’s midterms, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has provided a safe haven for the Lone Star State’s Democrats fleeing their legislature to block the power grab. Fighting fire with fire, Pritzker declared “all bets are off,” and vowed to retaliate by redrawing his state’s map too. (Other Democratic lawmakers are considering similar moves.) And while Texas Governor Greg Abbott is unlikely to be deterred, the battle must be fought. The battle matters.
When it comes to political power, it’s best to act like you have it than to fold peremptorily. As the saying goes, fake it ‘til you make it. This is an opportunity for Pritzker to showcase his chops.
Former Obama advisor David Axelrod has referred to Pritzker as the Democrats’ “break the glass” candidate because he—a billionaire scion of the family who owns the Hyatt hotel chain—has the financial resources and the political machine to step in on a moment’s notice and fund his own presidential campaign.
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Reminded of that statement, Axelrod elaborated in an email to The Daily Beast: “Pritzker has been as outspoken as any Democrat in challenging Trump. His speeches to Democratic audiences around the country have been rousing takedowns of Trump for his affronts to law, decency and American values,” he wrote. “Welcoming the renegade Texans is right in keeping with the role he’s carving.”
Axelrod added that Pritzker is establishing himself as a “bulwark against Trumpism,” a lane also being staked out by California Governor Newsom.
As Axelrod noted, Pritzker has a proud progressive record with a lot for Dems to like. He’s delivered on raising minimum wage, banning assault weapons and banning book bans. This showdown with Abbott—an avatar for the post-Trump Republican party as it considers its 2028 prospects—could be his made-for-social media moment to get voters to take him seriously as a presidential contender. Of course, it’s a moment for Abbott too. And that gives us a glimpse of what lies ahead in the starkly and yet so evenly-divided America.
Jessica Taylor, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told The Daily Beast that Abbott’s growing national prominence may entice him to think bigger than his current plans to seek a fourth term in office—if he’s able to deliver for Trump on redistricting. (In his inaugural speech this past January, Trump lauded Abbott as a “leader of the pack” among the nation’s governors—high praise indeed from a man who hates to raise anyone’s profile to the point they could become a threat.)
For all his bravado, one glitch for Pritzker is the Illinois congressional map. A non-partisan commission called the Independent Redistricting Commission oversees the process to determine what is broadly fair; Democrats hold 14 of 17 seats, leaving little left to gerrymander. Newsom is better positioned to find new blue seats in California, though redrawn districts would have to be approved by voters.
Taylor said that Newsom has made little effort to hide his presidential ambitions. And if he can save the House for the Dems by reacting to Republican overreach, he has a big bully pulpit from which to take credit.
Still, Pritzker is “right up there with Newsom,” Taylor added. “He can position himself as the savior of these Texas Democrats trying to save democracy.” This plan can’t work forever. The Democrats will have to go back at some point. Earlier today, the FBI agreed to assist in “locating runaway Texas House Democrats” following a request made by Republican Senator John Cornyn.
Still, staving off the inevitable allows Democrats to shine a light on the GOP’s power grab.
This is about more than Texas redistricting. This is about state’s rights, Abbott’s hardline immigration policies versus Chicago as a sanctuary city and proxy for other areas of American life that Trump has trod so mercilessly over. And it’s a referendum on Trumpism, as Axelrod mentioned, and it’s just getting underway. There will be a revolving cast of characters to duke it out as we move towards 2026 and then 2028, but the issue will be the same. Are we saving our democracy or allowing it to be destroyed? And can Pritzker, Abbott, Newsom or any of the other players jockeying for lead roles in this drama nail their audition?
