The nine sub-states of Illinois

Well there was a proposal out there to divide up California into a series of different states. Illinois is a lot like California and other states where population centers dominate the rest of the state.

Illinois is dominated by the Chicago area. We know that if turnout is down in say Chicago/Cook County that means a Republican victory in a state election is likely. Why because this part of the state is solidly Democrat and that's not likely to change in the near future. 

And yet other Democrat counties or areas of this state includes at the very least East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois and certainly Champaign County, Illinois. And for the most part the rest of the state is a solid red.

However, this article from Chicago Mag isn't just talking about politics of division in the Land of Lincoln. Just the various part of this state is culturally different. The further south in Illinois you go the more "southern" and perhaps more accurately the more rural it is.

And also consider that being a Chicagoan is a distinct identity than being an Illinoisan....and Chicago has a better flag too :P 

Anyway no one is proposing breaking up the State of Illinois anytime soon although some of those rural downstaters have floated proposals to turn Chicago into it's own state.

The Nine Sub-States of Illinois https://t.co/Cgk1sAVoCR

— Aaron M. Renn 🇺🇸 (@aaron_renn) April 27, 2022

On second though if the so-called Land of Lincoln became it's own state I wonder how it would be governed. I'd live there if it's capitol is actually Springfield. :)