State Representative Michael Coffey (IL) | Representative Michael J. Coffey, Jr. (R) 95th District
State Representative Michael Coffey (IL) | Representative Michael J. Coffey, Jr. (R) 95th District
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, along with State Representatives Ryan Spain and Dan Ugaste, announced a legal challenge against Illinois' legislative maps this week. The lawsuit, filed with the Illinois Supreme Court, seeks to declare the current district map unconstitutional due to alleged extreme partisan gerrymandering.
McCombie stated that the lawsuit challenges two aspects of the 2021 maps: district compactness and partisan bias. "Illinois’ State House District Maps are the byproduct of extreme partisan gerrymandering," she said. The aim is for a special master to draft a new plan compliant with state constitutional standards.
The U.S. Supreme Court has left states responsible for addressing gerrymandering issues. Illinois could follow states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, where similar plans were overturned based on comparable provisions.
Ryan Spain also introduced House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 05 in an effort to pass a Fair Map Amendment. He criticized Democrats for opposing democratic principles through what he called rigged maps: "When we say the map is rigged, we mean that the better Republican candidates do, the more effective the Democratic gerrymander is."
In 2016, over 600,000 residents supported a Fair Map Ballot Initiative to end partisan redistricting but it was dismissed by the Democrat-controlled Illinois Supreme Court after a lawsuit by John Hooker. Hooker was later convicted of bribery charges related to former Speaker Michael Madigan.
Dan Ugaste emphasized ongoing advocacy for fair maps and ethics reform within their caucus. "The recently completed election cycle made clear how successful the partisan gerrymandering deprived voters of their voice," Ugaste remarked.
Dr. Jowei Chen from the University of Michigan provided expert research supporting McCombie's complaint. Ugaste highlighted Chen’s work as evidence of systemic bias: “Voters across our state deserve to be heard.”
As HJRCA05 awaits further action in the House, details about McCombie's complaint are available online at RedoRemap.com.
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