Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday that he was proud to stand with the Texas House Democrats he sheltered this summer when they left the Lone Star State to stall a congressional redistricting plan.
“When Greg Abbott went along with Trump’s corrupt effort to ram through a mid-decade gerrymander, your Democratic legislators risked their careers. They risked their freedom, their safety, to defend democracy,” Pritzker said at the Dallas County Democratic Party’s Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas. “Texas Democrats raised their voices to alert the nation to the dangers ahead. Trump and MAGA Republicans don’t give a damn about our republic. They will grab power at any price, even at the cost of our Constitution.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was a key figure in Texas Democrats’ fight against redistricting this year, and is a potential 2028 candidate for president.
Pritzker’s keynote speech to Dallas County Democrats was a reunion of sorts. The Illinois governor was instrumental in the August quorum break by House Democrats designed in part to draw national attention to Trump’s plan to use the rare, mid-decade redrawing of congressional boundaries to flip five congressional seats from Democrats to Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.
Texas Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, presents Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker with a custom cowboy hat during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
A contingent of House Democrats stayed in Illinois during the quorum break, where Pritzker provided housing and resources. Though Republicans approved the new map after Democrats returned to the Capitol in August, the drama prompted other states, most notably California, to begin redistricting efforts to offset potential Texas Republican gains.
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Last week California voters approved a map that would flip up to five congressional seats from red to blue. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Houston on Saturday to thank Texas House Democrats for sounding the alarm about Trump’s redistricting plan.
Pritzker has not ruled out a mid-decade redrawing of congressional boundaries in Illinois, where the lines are already heavily gerrymandered in favor of Democrats.
As Pritzker praised Texas Democrats as courageous defenders of democracy, he urged them to finish the fight against President Donald Trump and his allies. And he warned Democrats to avoid “cutting deals” with their adversaries, likely a reference to the compromise to reopen the government that included eight Senate Democrats.
“The nation’s house is on fire, and in Washington, they’re using their hoses to water the White House lawn,” Pritzker said. “If we want to rid this country of the scourge of tyranny and weaponized cruelty embodied by this White House, then we damn sure need to stop cutting deals with them that throw working families under the bus.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
During his speech, Pritzker criticized Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their tactics in Illinois.
He described incidents involving Illinois residents, including those in the country legally. He mentioned the case of Diana Galeano, a teacher taken from a preschool and detained. And Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, an undocumented Illinois father killed by ICE agents in September as they attempted to arrest him.
In a news release, the Department of Homeland Security said Villegas-Gonzalez “refused to follow law enforcement officers’ commands and drove his car at law enforcement officers.” One officer was seriously injured, the release stated.
Texas Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, claps after presenting Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker with a custom cowboy hat during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
In October Gov. Greg Abbott, in solidarity with Trump, sent the Texas National Guard to Illinois to help protect federal officials.
“Donald Trump has sent his thugs into my city, into my state, and their actions have been unconscionable,” Pritzker said. “They’re generating unrest. They’re traumatizing the children. They’re intimidating our faith leaders.
“They’re stretching the law,” Pritzker said. “In fact, they’re breaking the law, and they’re snatching people up, and they’re disappearing them on their way for a morning cup of coffee. It’s inhumane, it’s unconstitutional, it’s un-American.”
Pritzker urged Democrats to form a united front.
“If we Democrats don’t have the courage to say out loud what our own eyes can clearly see, then we cross the line from cowardice to complicity,” Pritzker said. “We have almost exactly one year to organize, to prioritize and energize our voters.”
Pritzker was warmly received in Dallas. He’s seeking a third term next year as Illinois governor, and he’s considered a contender in the 2028 presidential race.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker smiles after being presented with a custom street sign during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Texas House Democrats presented him with a Texas-style western hat before his speech. Dallas City Council member Paula Blackmon gave Pritzker a Dallas-like street sign that read “Pritzker Way.” She said it was on behalf of City Council members.
Monday’s packed event was a who’s who of Democratic Party leaders and candidates, including Democratic Senate hopefuls Colin Allred — the former U.S. representative from Dallas — and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin. They both spoke.
![Constable Deanna Hammond (center) dances to Boots On The Ground [Where Them Fans At] during...](https://www.newsbeep.com/us-tx/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/G4RB2JUVJBELVG5AWUW6UBUUKM.jpg)
Constable Deanna Hammond (center) dances to Boots On The Ground [Where Them Fans At] during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
In the crowd was state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, who is a candidate for governor, as well as her rival for the Democratic nomination, Houston businessman Andrew White.
U.S. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth gave remarks.
The filing period for the March primaries opened Saturday and extends through Dec. 8.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to attendees during the Dallas County Democratic Party’s 2025 Johnson-Jordan Dinner at Gilley’s Dallas on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer