House GOP Throws Hail Mary on Maps
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savana) at a news conference Tuesday. (Screenshot: Blueroomstream)
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Calling Democratic gerrymandered legislative maps in effect since 2021 “unethical and, frankly, illegal,” House Republicans announced a lawsuit Tuesday asking the Illinois Supreme Court to throw out the existing map and require a new map to be drawn.
House GOP Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savana) is leading the suit, which was filed with the Supreme Court Tuesday.
The suit was filed with the Supreme Court directly and not circuit courts because the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over legislative maps.
It asks the court to throw out the map, block the State Board of Elections from enforcing it, and appointing a special master to redraw a new map in time for the 2026 election.
“In addition to being bad policy, extreme partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional,” the suit states. “The Illinois Constitution requires that ‘[a]ll elections shall be free and equal.’ But under the Enacted Plan, that is an impossibility. It also requires that all ‘Legislative Districts shall be compact.’ But the Enacted Plan subordinates compactness to the partisan and incumbent-protection goals of the majority political party.”
Republicans challenged the map after it was enacted by supermajority Democrats in 2021, but focused their efforts in federal court. At the time, GOP leaders believed a Democratic Illinois Supreme Court would be less likely to overturn the map than a federal court. Federal judges dismissed the GOP arguments against the map.
“Illinois House Republicans refuse to stand by while Democrats rig elections and manipulate the system to maintain their grip on power,” McCombie said Tuesday. “It is time to expose this for what it really is: cheating.”
Republicans say the map has multiple districts less compact and fair than districts that were thrown out by the Supreme Court in a similar action more than 40 years ago.
Jon Maxson, a spokesman for House Speaker Chris Welch, made the issue a not-so-subtle redirect at the Trump administration.
"Leader McCombie can’t justify her party leader’s unlawful attempt to slash services working families need to access healthcare, afford rent, and put food on the table, so she is choosing to distract people by relitigating a matter that courts decided years ago."
It isn’t clear yet if the Supreme Court will take up the case.
