Illinois Supreme Court Rejects McCombie’s Redistricting Challenge Over Delay

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday denied House Republican Leader Tony McCombie’s request to file a lawsuit challenging the state’s 2021 legislative redistricting map, ruling the motion was filed too late. The court said McCombie and other Republican lawmakers waited more than three years and two election cycles after the map was enacted, making the challenge untimely under the legal doctrine of laches, which bars delayed claims that could cause unfair disruption. The lawmakers argued the map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered for partisan advantage, but the court said the delay created uncertainty and potential harm for voters and public officials. One justice dissented, saying the case should have been heard to clarify how political fairness is enforced under the Illinois Constitution.