Daley and LaHood Launch Illinois Ballot Drive for Independent Redistricting Commission

A bipartisan group led by former Obama administration officials Bill Daley and Ray LaHood has unveiled “Fair Maps Illinois,” a campaign to overhaul how Illinois draws state legislative districts. The organizers want to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot that would move map-drawing authority from the General Assembly to a 12-member commission appointed evenly by Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers. Under the proposal, commissioners would be barred from using party registration or voting-history data, and the size of the General Assembly would fluctuate with population changes. The measure affects only state House and Senate maps, leaving congressional districts untouched. Backers must submit more than 328,000 valid voter signatures by May 2026 and say they will aim for about 600,000 to survive challenges. They estimate raising $3–4 million, largely for professional petition gathering. It is the third citizen-driven attempt since 2014 to curb gerrymandering after earlier initiatives were struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court; supporters believe new language addresses past legal objections, though they acknowledge the 5-2 Democratic-leaning court could still reject it. Governor JB Pritzker, who has called for a nationwide independent redistricting system, signaled conditional backing but holds no formal role in the ballot process. Good-government group CHANGE Illinois questioned the plan’s community outreach, while early supporters include former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. If the amendment reaches voters, every statewide and legislative candidate in 2026 would likely be pressed to take a position on the map-making overhaul.