Martin McLaughlin, Illinois 52nd District State Representative, expressed concerns over Governor JB Pritzker's approval of partisan redistricting maps. McLaughlin said that this decision contradicted Pritzker's previous pledge for fairness and disadvantaged Republican incumbents. The remarks were made on the Prairie State Wire Podcast.
"When I hear the governor talk about gerrymandering, it's not only a joke, it's offensive to anyone who's paid attention to what's been taking place in Illinois," said Martin J. Mclaughlin, State Representative from Illinois. "We had maps that the governor approved that were within a block of existing seated state Republicans. They would move them to the left or to the right so that they would actually get rid of existing incumbents. The governor, as we know, did sign and gerrymandered the maps in Illinois for Congress and also for state offices."
The decennial redistricting process in Illinois has been a source of partisan conflict. According to Illinois Policy, the Democratic-controlled Illinois General Assembly drafted new legislative and congressional maps in 2021, which Governor J.B. Pritzker approved despite earlier campaign commitments to support independent map-drawing. Critics argue that these maps entrench one-party rule, while proponents claim they reflect shifting populations and the decennial census. Litigation ensued, challenging the shape and fairness of districts and highlighting tensions over representation and map-making power.
In the first election following the 2021 redistricting, the Illinois House of Representatives consisted of 78 Democrats and 40 Republicans out of 118 seats, reflecting the new district lines in effect. This information is based on the election summary and Illinois House data for 2022.
Despite Democrats capturing 78 House seats under the new map, they did so with less than a majority of the statewide House vote—Democrats received 49.08% of the vote while Republicans garnered 50.92%. Nevertheless, Democrats held nearly two-thirds of the seats according to the 2022 Illinois House election results.
McLaughlin is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 52nd District, having been first sworn in on January 13, 2021. He previously served as Village President of Barrington Hills and ran a small business in pension management. His committee assignments include Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & IT; Ethics & Elections; and Revenue & Finance among others, as per his Illinois General Assembly biography.
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