Illinois Democrats have unveiled a revised congressional map that sets up the potential for a second Latino district, two primary matchups featuring Republican incumbents and, surprisingly, a one-on-one primary battle between suburban Democratic incumbents.
Unlike the first version of the map, the revision appears to solidly entrench a 14-3 Democratic advantage over Republicans as the party seeks to maintain its majority in the U.S. House for the next decade.
The new map was released on Saturday afternoon, when Democrats could be assured little attention would be paid to the once-every-decade redistricting of the state’s U.S. House boundaries that could shape Illinois and Washington politics.
Reflecting a growing Latino population in the state, the new map would create an opportunity for a second Latino district in Illinois along with the 4th District now held by U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
Garcia’s current district would see much of its Northwest Side Latino population moved into a redrawn open 3rd District seat that stretches into the western suburbs and is designed to capture growth in the Latino community in Cook and DuPage county suburbs.
One prominent resident of the proposed 3rd District is Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, who chairs the City Council Latino Caucus. On Sunday, Villegas and the 13-member Latino Caucus issued a statement urging Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to sign the revised map. The caucus is also seeking greater representation in the redrawing of aldermanic boundaries.
“Latinos have chosen to make Illinois their home and we are committed to this great state. In Chicago, the Latino Caucus is working hard to ensure that our community is fairly represented and we are happy to see that the General Assembly has that same mission,” Villegas said.
With Democrats holding a narrow U.S. House majority, Illinois Democrats were under pressure to try to maximize their advantage over Republicans in the delegation in drawing new map lines
Still, Democrats created a one-on-one Democratic suburban primary pitting two-term U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove against freshman Democrat Marie Newman in a revised 6th District that runs from Lombard on the north to include the southwest suburbs that had been part of Newman’s current 3rd District.
Newman would lose Chicago communities that would be moved into districts now represented by Democrats Garcia and Danny Davis of Chicago, and Robin Kelly of Matteson. Bridgeport residents testifying about the initial map complained that they were being split up, dividing Southwest Side and south suburban areas with common interests.
Newman also had complained about the original reconfiguration of her district in the map that was released Oct. 15. That map removed several city neighborhoods from her district and stretched westward to include rural areas along Interstate 80 around LaSalle and Ottawa. The district as originally drawn also put her in competition with six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon.
With Illinois’ population loss hitting downstate rural areas hardest, the revised map puts Kinzinger and Darin LaHood of Peoria in a sprawling district that stretches from the Wisconsin border south to include areas around Rockford, Peoria and Bloomington and east to Morris.
LaHood, a four-term congressman and staunch conservative, has been a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump. Kinzinger, a six-term congressman, has been an outspoken critic of Trump and his continued leadership role in the GOP, voted for the former president’s impeachment and sits on the Democratic-led panel reviewing the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The Democrats original map had put LaHood in the same district as Rep. Mary Miller, a controversial freshman Republican from Oakland in east central Illinois who has embraced the far right elements of the Republican Party. Miller now finds herself mapped into a district which extends into deep southern Illinois area represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro, a four-term congressman.
In the city, Rep. Bobby Rush’s district would run from parts of Bronzeville south and southwest to include Braidwood and Bourbonais. Kelly, the state Democratic chair, would be in a district running from North Kenwood south to Danville in east central Illinois.
Like the first version, the revised map puts five-term GOP U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville into a solidly Republican central Illinois district that stretches from the Mississippi River to the Indiana border. Davis has said where he ends up in a Democratic-drawn map would decide if he seeks a bid for the GOP governor nomination.
Also like the earlier map, a new narrow open seat district was inserted into Davis’ district. It runs from East St. Louis northeast to Decatur and Champaign and is designed to favor a Democrat.
“These new proposed congressional boundaries are historic and reflect the great diversity present throughout the state,” said state Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez of Cicero, the Democratic chair of the Illinois House Redistricting Committee. “The proposal ensures minorities, as well as the rest of Illinoisans, have an equitable voice in representation in Washington.”
Democrats are expected to approve the new map when state lawmakers reconvene in Springfield this week for the final week fall session — though it is possible the lines could change before a final vote.
The current U.S. House delegation makeup is 13 Democrats, five Republicans, but the state will only have 17 House districts for the next decade because federal census data showed Illinois losing population for the first time in state history.
Democrats control the legislature and the governor’s office, meaning no Republican votes are needed to pass a map.
rpearson@chicagotribune.com
