Illinois Counties Explore Seceding from Chicago Due to Crime and Political Influence

Thirty-three counties in Illinois have already voted in favor of exploring the possibility of forming a new state separate from Cook County, which includes Chicago. An additional 11 counties are scheduled to vote on similar non-binding referendums during the upcoming midterm election. The movement, spearheaded by the group Illinois Separation, reflects frustration among residents of predominantly rural, Republican-leaning areas who feel their concerns are ignored by the state's Democratic leadership, largely centered in Chicago.

Loret Newlin, director of Illinois Separation, stated that many residents feel "not taken into consideration when they’re making a lot of the laws that hurt us." The counties that have supported separation are not solely concentrated in the southern, less populated parts of the state; support has also emerged in Madison County, the state's eighth most populous, and Iroquois County, located roughly 80 miles south of Cook County. Newlin noted that these votes demonstrate the growing momentum and broadening reach of the movement, extending beyond purely rural or southern demographics.

However, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has dismissed the separation efforts as a "stunt" and stated that such a move "is not going to happen." While most of Illinois' counties lean Republican, they are significantly less populated than the Democratic urban centers. Cook County alone accounts for approximately 41% of the state's population, with four neighboring Democratic-leaning counties contributing another 22%. In the 2024 presidential election, only 14 counties voted for Kamala Harris, yet she carried the state by a margin of over 600,000 votes.

For a new state to be officially formed, the Illinois state legislature would need to approve the separation, followed by consent from the U.S. Congress. Democrats currently hold supermajorities in both houses of the Illinois state government, making legislative approval a significant hurdle. Despite these challenges, supporters point to historical precedents such as the creation of West Virginia during the Civil War and Maine from Massachusetts in 1820 as evidence of the constitutional basis for such formations.

Dave Stopher, who led the effort for the referendum in Madison County, expressed to NPR that the movement has "a lot more teeth to it than the governor has given it credit for," hoping the vote sends a "distinct and clear message to Springfield and to Cook County." This current push echoes a past secessionist effort in the 1960s and 70s, known as the "Republic of Forgottonia," where 16 central-western counties sought attention for infrastructure neglect and funding shortfalls. While secession did not occur, the movement did contribute to improvements in the region's infrastructure and services.