CHICAGO - Illinois residents continue to FLEE Democrats’ high taxes, refusal to address rising crime and anti-business policies. Hundreds-of-thousands of people are leaving Illinois, and it’s not just Chicago either. Since 2020, Chicago has lost 82,000 people, 3% of its population and Cook County as a whole lost 188,000 people, or 3.6% of its population. Outside of Cook County, further suburbs lost between 4% and 5% of their population.

In total, Illinois has lost 263,780 residents since 2020.

Meanwhile, instead of admitting Illinois’ problems and residents’ concerns, Governor JB Pritzker called the numbers FAKE NEWS, and cast doubt on Joe Biden’s U.S. Census Bureau. Brandon Johnson highlighted decades of Democrat control in Chicago, spotlighting Chicago’s lack of affordable housing, job losses, closed schools and a need for additional mental health resources. Notably, neither gave solutions to keep residents and grow Illinois.

“Illinois residents are fleeing the Prairie State as they run from Democrats socialistic policies, high taxes, a migrant crisis that continues to grow worse and high crime,” said ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy. “Illinois leaders like Pritzker are putting their heads in the sand and refusing to see the effects of their agenda. As long as Democrats claim Illinois as a Democrat utopia, more residents will continue to flee.”