August 5, 2025 6:30 am

Gerrymander for Me, but Not for Thee

Democrats have excelled at gerrymandering in states such as Illinois and California — they have no cause to complain when the GOP does it, too.

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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker speaks in front of Democratic lawmakers from Texas during a press conference after they left their state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to redraw the state’s 38 congressional districts, in Carol Stream, Ill., August 3, 2025.

Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters

Let’s take a tour of the 13th congressional district in Illinois.

It starts in East St. Louis and then moves steadily north. By the time it gets to Springfield, home of Abraham Lincoln, about 90 miles away, it takes a sharp turn to the east, reaching Decatur and finally Champaign, itself about 80 miles away from Springfield.