State of Illinois

Illinois State House Redistricting Challenge

McCombie v. Illinois State Board of Elections

Lawsuit filed by Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R) and five Republican voters against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its eight members challenging the state House map, which the Illinois General Assembly redrew in 2021. The state Legislature’s original plan, which was approved in May 2021, was blocked by federal court because its districts were not equal in population. The Legislature submitted a revised map in August 2021, which was upheld by federal court in three separate challenges brought by the NAACP, Latino voters and Republicans in the Illinois Legislature.

The plaintiffs allege that the map is a partisan gerrymander that creates an unfair advantage for Democrats. They claim that due to a delay in the 2020 census, the Legislature relied on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) — a population estimate published by the U.S. Census Bureau. They assert that the Legislature used ACS data in order to avoid handing over control of the redistricting process to a bipartisan commission, which happens if the Legislature does not enact a new map before June 30 the year after the census. The plaintiffs argue the map was primarily motivated by partisan concerns in violation of the Illinois Constitution, and ask the Illinois Supreme Court to strike down the map and appoint a “Special Master” to draft a constitutional redistricting plan.

STATUS: The Republican plaintiffs filed their complaint before the Illinois Supreme Court on Jan. 28, 2025.

Case Documents

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