Downstate Illinois pushes for new statehood
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Downstate leaders believe their constituents want to split Illinois into two new states.
The big picture: Voters in seven counties — Iroquois, Madison, Jersey, Clinton, Calhoun, Greene and Perry — will have a yes or no question on their ballots this fall on whether the state of Illinois should be split in two.
The fine print: The question, which was approved for ballots last week, reads "Shall the Board of ____ County correspond with the boards of other counties of Illinois outside of Cook about the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, and to seek admission to the Union as such, subject to the approval of the people?"
Between the lines: A two-state movement has been growing for years, mostly fueled by downstate Republicans opposing Democrats in Chicago.
- They cite the Democrats' years-long majority in the state's General Assembly and disagree on big issues like reproductive rights, climate change and pandemic lockdowns.
Zoom out: Illinois has voted blue in presidential elections since 1992, in large part thanks to Cook County. In the 2020 presidential election, all but two of the southern counties in Illinois went for Donald Trump, yet the state went for President Biden.
The intrigue: Pro-secession forces are hoping that national Democrats would let the divide happen in exchange for Washington, D.C. or Puerto Rico statehood.
Reality check: In the past three years alone, 26 counties have voted in favor of similar ballot questions, but Illinois has 102 counties.
- Iroquois County will be the most northern county to vote this November. It is just south of Kankakee.
- Some have gone even further, advocating for redrawing state lines so the southern part of the state could join Missouri.
What's next: The ballot questions are non-binding and any new state plan would have to be approved by the Illinois General Assembly, which would then have to be approved by U.S. Congress.