Supreme Court Throws Out McCombie's Map Lawsuit
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), who filed the suit challenging the 2021 legislative maps.
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The Illinois Supreme Court rejected the House GOP “Hail Mary” attempt to overturn the Democratic-drawn gerrymandered legislative maps Wednesday. Not on the basis of the facts, though, but because they waited too long to file it.
From the opinion:
“Plaintiffs’ approach would also be prejudicial and create uncertainty for voters and officeholders alike, now and in the future, as to whether any redistricting plan in Illinois is ever final. Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to file was brought more than three years and four months after the adoption of the current map. This delay is 32 months more than the delay in the 2012 challenge, which this court denied in Cross. We are closer to the next decennial census than the last. Plaintiffs seek to use data that may now be stale, which could be prejudicial to the parties as well as the public.”
House Republicans had argued the data from the last two elections proved their point that the gerrymander was illegal.
The Five Democrats on the court voted for their party. Republican Justice David Overstreet wrote the dissent agreeing with the GOP position.
“I disagree that intervenors have made the requisite showing that plaintiffs have not brought the proposed claims with due diligence. There are fundamental differences in plaintiffs’ claims and “every previous redistricting case considered by this court since the adoption of the 1970 Constitution,” he wrote. “The examination of the precise nature of these claims, as well as the evidence necessary to establish their elements, must inform an analysis of plaintiffs’ diligence.”
The federal courts have already upheld the map, so it remains unclear if there will be any other legal challenges for Republicans before the new redistricting cycle in 2031.
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) condemned the decision:
"Today is a shameful day in Illinois history. The voices of voters have once again been silenced by a Democratic machine that will stop at nothing to cling to power. This isn't leadership — it's a raw, cynical power grab. Every Illinoisan, regardless of political affiliation, should be outraged by what just happened.
"Governor JB Pritzker lied to the people of this state. He promised a fair map — but instead stood by as his party drew the most partisan gerrymander possible, rigging the system for yet another decade. This isn't democracy.
"Let’s be clear: Democrats have no interest in protecting voters — only in protecting their majority. They’ve proven they’ll twist the rules, ignore the public, and crush accountability to keep their grip on power. House Republicans will not stop exposing this injustice. We will fight every day to restore fairness, transparency, and trust in our elections — because the people of Illinois deserve nothing less."
House Democrats did not respond to a request for comment.
