SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – Federal Congressional districts in the State of Illinois would look a lot different for the next ten years if the most recent draft of new maps stays in place. Illinois House and Senate Democrats have released new drafts of US Congressional district maps that would be in effect after the November 2022 elections when a new Congress is seated in January 2023. The new draft maps draw together two Republican incumbent members of US Congress and would create a geographically massive new district in Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois Republican State Representatives Dave Severin, Patrick Windhorst, and Paul Jacobs are sounding off in opposition to the process and what they call a severely gerrymandered product.
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) says the lack of popularity of Democrat President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” spending plan, runaway inflation, backlogged supply chains, a lack of availability of common commercial goods, and the President and Nancy Pelosi’s sinking poll numbers means the Washington Democrats slim minority is in jeopardy next November.
“Illinois Democrats in the General Assembly are aware of the unpopularity of the President and US Congressional leaders like Nancy Pelosi and leftist-progressives,” Windhorst said. “The gerrymandering in this map is on full display for all to see. From creating one massive geographic district for all of Southern Illinois to drawing Republican incumbents together, to the closed-door process that led to today’s maps being released, Democrats in Springfield are doing all they can to protect unpopular and failing Democrats in Washington.”
Votes on the newly proposed Congressional district maps could happen as early as next week, as the Illinois House and Senate will return to action in Springfield on Tuesday for the 2021 Veto Session.
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