Also Politico:
Illinois’ state legislature passed a new congressional map early Friday morning that likely secures Democrats’ control of 14 of the state’s 17 congressional districts — but it also condemned liberalfreshman Rep. Marie Newman to an uncertain fate at the 11th hour.
Newman, who rose to fame in 2020 after ousting a veteran conservative Democrat, Dan Lipinski, fell victim to last-minute changes by Springfield legislators plotting to both boost Democratic Rep. Sean Casten and create a new district where the Latino community could elect their candidate of choice.
A draft map released last weekend looped both Casten and Newman together in one district — but after a concerted campaign from Casten allies, the legislature reversed course. A new map unveiled just hours before it was approved artfully carved Newman’s hometown of La Grange out of the district with Casten’s home and into the heavilyLatino seat of Democratic Rep. Chuy García — where she would face long odds in a potential primary.
Newman slammed the move as a perversion of the democratic process but could not stop it.
“The most recently proposed map is a clear attempt to appease one person and a small handful of affluent insiders at the expense of workers and working families on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs,” Newman seethed in a Thursday night statement. “Illinois residents deserve fair representation and a fair map that includes public input — not one that turns a blind eye to it.”
Besides Newman, every Republican member is also feeling the squeeze under the map. GOP Reps. Darin LaHood and Adam Kinzinger are shoved together in a deep-red seat in the north, and GOP Reps. Mike Bost and Mary Miller are looped in a similarly packed Republican seat in the south. Republican Rep. Rodney Davis has a central district to himself — unless any of his colleagues decide to run there instead.
Even before the new map was passed, the delegation was already bracing for multiple clashes between sitting members.
“I’ve been through this every 10 years. It’s Civil War-ish. It gets ugly,” said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.). “Traditionally, longtime friends have been forced to turn against each other for survival. So it’s ugly political cannibalism.”