U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries visited Chicago Monday in his effort to squeeze another Democratic district out of Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered congressional map, seeking the support of Black Illinois legislators who say they want to match President Donald Trump’s GOP redistricting campaign — but refuse to dilute Black representation.
The powerful New York Democrat met with several Black legislators in a River North office before heading down to Springfield, where state lawmakers who would have to approve a remap are scheduled to wrap up their legislative calendar this week.
Candidates began filing their petitions to appear on Illinois’ March 17, 2026, primary Monday, but supporters say there’s time to figure out the logistics of the controversial plan to carve out a 15th blue district on the map that already splits 14-3 for Democrats.
U.S. Reps. Jonathan Jackson, Danny Davis, Lauren Underwood and Robin Kelly stood with Jeffries in support of the idea after an hourlong meeting that also included Chicago Democrats who lead the General Assembly’s Black Caucus: state Sens. Lakesia Collins and Willie Preston, and state Rep. Kimberly du Buclet.
Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas, North Carolina and Missouri have changed their maps at the behest of Trump in order to give the GOP an edge heading into next year’s midterm elections. The maps usually are only adjusted after the U.S. Census is performed at the conclusion of a decade.
“Democrats have made clear that we are going to respond, as is being done in California right now, appropriately, immediately, and forcefully, to ensure that the national congressional map is as fair as it can possibly be so that we allow for free and fair elections, and the American people can decide — not Donald Trump — who should represent them in Congress after November of 2026,” Jeffries said.
Preston, one of the most forceful initial opponents of Illinois redistricting talks, signaled he’s open to changing the map, but only if Black representation is maintained.
“If that map dilutes Black votes, I’m not only a no, I’m going to lobby other Black, Latino and my white colleagues to vote no,” Preston said. “This is an unprecedented time in America, but we do not have to go along just to get along here, particularly at a time when we see Black power and Black representation decreasing in Illinois.”
Preston, who chairs the Illinois Senate Black Caucus, has opposed proposed changes floated for the 1st, 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts. He said he wasn’t shown any proposed map in the Downtown meeting with Jeffries, who said it would “be for the Legislature and the governor to decide. … It’s our hope that those conversations will intensify this week in Springfield.”
Jackson represents the 1st District. The 2nd District is an open seat after Kelly announced her run for Sen. Dick Durbin’s Senate seat. The 7th District is also open after Davis announced his retirement this year.
“We have to fight fire with fire,” Kelly said.
Top Democrats in Illinois have said redistricting talks in this state would be triggered only if Indiana Republicans pursue it — which is exactly what Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced will happen in a special session starting Nov. 3.
Jeffries was scheduled to meet later in the day with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and state Senate President Don Harmon about redistricting at the state Capitol. Democrats wield supermajorities in both chambers, but many lawmakers privately have said they’re reluctant to revisit maps that generated difficult discussion on racial representation before they were approved in 2021. And there wasn’t any massive time crunch like the one facing them now.
Gov. JB Pritzker said he thinks it’s possible.
“This is all about the fact that Donald Trump is now trying to rig the game by going state by state and asking his friends, the Republican governors and Republican legislators, to do mid-decade redistricting,” Pritzker said after filing his petitions in Springfield to run for a third term. “That’s something we’re all going to have to look at during the process here. But it doesn’t have to happen during [this week’s] veto session. It could happen after that, but right now there’s just a lot of conversation going on.”
In a statement, Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi lambasted Democrats for aiming for more out of a map that was graded an “F” by researchers at the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.
“JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats have already gerrymandered Illinois to hell and back, creating one of most partisan maps in history,” Salvi said. “While Democrats continue to play partisan games, the Illinois Republican Party will continue to fight for fair maps and representation.”
Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said the effort could backfire for Pritzker and the Democrats.
“I think ultimately it would hurt him. I think it would change the representation of the Black Caucus, and I think it would put the 17th congressional [seat held by Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen], which is where I live, at much more risk,” McCombie said.