Illinois Movement to Split State Gains Momentum Ahead of Midterms
A growing movement in downstate Illinois is pushing to break away from Chicago and Cook County to form America’s 51st state, with 33 of the state’s 102 counties having already passed non-binding referendums supporting the idea. The proposal, which would require approval from both the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress, is set to appear on ballots in at least six additional counties during the November 2026 midterm elections.
The Roots of Discontent
The movement is driven by a sense of political and cultural alienation among residents in central and southern Illinois, who feel their conservative voices are drowned out by Chicago’s Democratic supermajority. According to NPR, the referendums have passed in every county where they have appeared, often by margins exceeding 70%.
Two main organizations lead the charge. New Illinois (newillinoisstate.org) has drafted a proposed new state constitution and established committees in more than half of Illinois’ counties. Illinois Separation has spearheaded the ballot referendum efforts, placing advisory questions before voters across central and southern Illinois.
“Sometimes splitting is a good thing,” Loret Newlin, head of Illinois Separation, told NPR. “You know, we wouldn’t have America if some splitting hadn’t been done 250 years ago.”
Constitutional Hurdles
Creating a new state from an existing one is no small feat. Under Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, any division requires the consent of both the state legislature from which territory is being taken and the U.S. Congress. No new state has been created from an existing one since West Virginia was carved out of Virginia during the Civil War in 1863.
Kenneth Owen, a history professor at the University of Illinois Springfield who studies secession movements, told NPR that while there is “a seriousness about this,” there are “much greater structural impediments ahead of them.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has dismissed the effort as a “stunt” that “is not going to happen,” while Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has also contested the legality of the separation.
A History of Division
The push to split Illinois is not new. According to NBC Chicago, the Chicago City Council floated the idea of splitting off from the rest of the state as early as 1925. In the 1970s, the “Republic of Forgottonia” movement drew attention to disinvestment in 16 west-central Illinois counties, ultimately securing improved highways, bridges, and restored Amtrak service.
Historical precedents for state division include Maine’s separation from Massachusetts in 1820 after 38 years of agitation and six referendums, and West Virginia’s creation in 1863 — the most frequently cited model by separation advocates.
Economic Debate
A central point of contention is the financial viability of a new state. A report from Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Institute found that Cook County receives $0.78 back per tax dollar sent to Springfield, while central Illinois receives $2.04 and southern Illinois receives $3.57. New Illinois disputes this data, arguing the report excluded large portions of state revenues and disbursements.
Bill Bergman, a former Federal Reserve of Chicago economist who supports the separation, argues that a new state could thrive. “Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin are thriving states. They don’t have Chicago,” he told NBC Chicago. “New Illinois can thrive without Chicago.”
The Indiana Factor
In a surprising twist, neighboring states have taken notice. In 2025, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston authored an Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission bill (HB1008) welcoming parts of Illinois into Hoosier territory. The Wildcat Chronicle reported that some southern Illinois counties have expressed interest in joining Indiana, Missouri, or Kentucky instead of forming a new state.
The Racial Dimension
The movement has also raised questions about the role of race in the push for separation. State Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat, told NPR that while race is not “overwhelming the issue,” some downstate residents are “aggravated about Black people” and use crime in Chicago as a “punching bag.” Movement leaders deny any racial animus, framing the issue strictly in terms of political representation. Ford drew a parallel, noting that downstate conservatives “feel like they’re Black in the minority.”
Broader Implications
The Illinois separation movement is part of a larger trend of state-splitting and secession movements across the United States, including efforts in California (Calexit), the Greater Idaho movement, and Texas secession (TEXIT). Experts like Owen suggest that even if full separation is unlikely, the movement serves as a “tool for the mobilization of a more general sense of grievance” and may reopen conversations about the social contract between rural and urban communities.
What’s Next
The separation referendums will be on the ballot in at least six additional counties in November 2026, including Henderson, Coles, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin counties. Even if full separation remains unlikely, experts suggest the movement may achieve policy concessions from Springfield, similar to the infrastructure improvements won by the Forgottonia movement.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who has been described as the only Democrat willing to discuss separation, told NPR that the key is finding common ground: “Rural Illinois and urban Illinois, we need to figure out how we can find common ground.”
As Loret Newlin, the farm girl turned separation activist, put it: “I tell you, I’m a farm girl. You plant anyway. You don’t know what storms are going to come. You plant the seed anyway.”