Forty Illinois Counties Explore Secession to Form New State

Seven additional Illinois counties—Coles, Henderson, Macoupin, Monroe, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin—will hold advisory referendums in November to determine if they should explore seceding from the state. This brings the total to 40 counties that have approved such measures since 2020, following a wide-margin vote by 33 counties in November 2024. The movement is largely concentrated in central and southern Illinois, where proponents seek to form a new state separate from Cook County and the Chicago area.

Brad Halbrook, a state representative, proposed a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to designate 101 of Illinois' 102 counties as the 51st state. Halbrook attributes the movement to citizen frustration over the SAFE-T Act, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, and the implementation of over 60 new taxes. He noted that the effort faces an uphill battle due to the Democratic supermajority in the legislature.

Governor JB Pritzker has dismissed the secession efforts as a stunt. Outside the state, the Indiana legislature is considering bills to absorb these counties, and Iowa lawmakers have made similar proposals. Despite local momentum, a formal split requires approval from the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress under Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, a process experts describe as making a successful secession extremely remote.