Downstate Illinois has had enough.
While Chicago’s Democrat machine runs the state like a personal fiefdom — jacking up taxes, gutting the Second Amendment, flooding the streets with soft-on-crime policies, and treating rural votes like an afterthought — the rest of the Prairie State is quietly, methodically organizing an exit.
A growing movement to create a new state free from Cook County’s stranglehold has already won non-binding referendums in 33 of Illinois’ 102 counties. Seven more counties are set to vote this November. Every single referendum that has appeared on the ballot has passed, often by landslide margins around 70-75%.
This isn’t fringe talk. It’s a grassroots revolt against taxation without representation, pure and simple.
“Our Votes Don’t Count Down Here”
That’s the number one reason people give, according to organizers. Second place: “Things never go the way we want — only the way Chicago wants.”
Cook County holds roughly 41% of the state’s population — about 5.2 million people out of Illinois’ 12.7 million. That concentration of voters, combined with aggressive gerrymandering, gives the Chicago metro area near-total control of the General Assembly. Democrats enjoy a supermajority. Downstate Republicans and independents get lectured, taxed, and ignored.
Gas taxes, property taxes, business-killing regulations, the SAFE-T Act, gun control measures that treat law-abiding rural gun owners like criminals — all dictated by a city that can’t keep its own streets safe or its budget balanced.
This is urban versus rural. It’s the people who grow the food, raise the kids, and still believe in the Constitution versus a one-party urban machine that views them as ATMs and political obstacles.
The Electoral Bomb Waiting to Drop
Illinois currently holds 19 electoral votes.
If the split succeeded along the lines the movement is pushing — Cook County/Chicago remaining as “Illinois” and the rest forming a new state — the math gets interesting fast. Chicago’s remnant would likely keep around 9 electoral votes. The new downstate state would claim roughly 10. Those 10 would almost certainly go Republican.
That’s not speculation from some fringe account. It’s the reality of the political geography. Rural and small-town Illinois already votes red. Free them from Chicago’s dead weight and you flip a meaningful chunk of the Electoral College.
This Is Legal. This Is Constitutional. This Is Not “Secession.”
Organizers from groups like New Illinois and the Illinois Separation Referendum are crystal clear: they are not trying to leave the United States. They are following Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution — the same process that allowed West Virginia to split from Virginia.
It requires approval from the Illinois legislature and Congress. The Democrat supermajority in Springfield will fight it tooth and nail. Governor JB Pritzker has already dismissed it as something that “should not be on the ballot.” Of course he has. Power never voluntarily shares.
But the people keep voting for it anyway. County boards keep putting it on the ballot. The map keeps filling in.
Why It Matters Beyond Illinois
This is the same story playing out in California’s rural counties, Oregon’s eastern counties, and other places where blue cities impose their values on red flyover country. High taxes, open borders, crime, cultural hostility to traditional values, and the constant message that your vote only counts if it aligns with the urban progressive consensus.
Illinois just happens to be further along. Thirty-three counties have already spoken. Seven more will speak in November. If Trump gets the Save America Act passed, this is fast-tracked as Democrat voter fraud is a big obstacle to what the people want in all Blue States. Especially states like Illinois and California with total Democrat Marxist control over elections with millions of ballots ready to be used to always win any contest.
The rest of the state isn’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking for the basic American right to be governed by people who actually share their values and interests.
Chicago can keep its pensions, its sanctuary policies, and its one-party rule. The rest of Illinois is ready to build something better.
America First starts at home. Sometimes that means redrawing the map.
— The Whatfinger News Team: Alex and Luke
From the folks: Wall Street Apes: BIG There is a growing political movement in Illinois is trying to redraw the state’s borders The rest of the state wants to break free from Chicago because they are tired of Chicago policies destroying their cities It’s been approved in more than 30 counties and 7 more are set to vote in November “The answer that people most often give for their wanting to separate is,
“Our votes don’t count down here.” Second runner up was, “Things never go the way we want, only the way Chicago wants.”’ “Everything from the gas tax, the number of state lawmakers representing Chicago land, Second Amendment rights, and gerrymandering are all reasons the rest of Illinois might be better off. This is not a political thing. This is not a Democrat/Republican. This is an urban versus rural” This is big because Illinois has 19 electoral votes If this were to go through, Chicago would be left with just 9 electoral votes and the new ‘Succeeding downstate’ would get 10. It’s estimated those 10 would now go to Republicans – Post at X
—The Whatfinger News Team: Lisa and Beth
Resources:
- Wall Street Apes original post on the Illinois separation movement
- Nearly One-Third of Illinois Counties Have Voted to Explore Creating a New State Separate From Chicago – PJ Media
- Separation referendums in Illinois – Wikipedia
- New Illinois campaign wants to split state: ‘This is not secession’ – Newsweek
- Why So Many Illinois Counties Want To Split From Chicago
- The Rural Areas Pushing for Divorce From Democratic Cities – Wall Street Journal
- Illinois state split movement gains ground in 70 counties
- Momentum grows for splitting up Illinois as seven more counties vote in favor – Axios Chicago
- Rural Illinois wants to split from Chicago, inside a secession movement – NPR
- Seven more counties consider leaving Democrat-run Illinois, creating new state – Just The News
- More Illinois counties to hold votes on separating from Cook County – NBC Chicago
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