The Democrat-drawn map was first made public on Friday morning. It could be approved in the General Assembly before the end of the month and analysts predict it could give Democrats a 14-3 edge in the congressional delegation. In central Illinois, it could bring some big changes when it comes to representation.
Republican Congressmen Darin LaHood and Mary Miller would be in the same district, the 16th. That district would cover most of west central Illinois, while also going east and around Champaign south to near Charleston and Mattoon. The pairing of two GOP incumbents was expected as Illinois is losing one congressional seat.
Springfield and Chatham would be in a new look 13th district that would stretch in a narrow band to Champaign and the University of Illinois. It would also travel south from Sangamon County to the Metro East, including communities like Collinsville, Granite City and Belleville. This district is believed to favor Democrats. A former member of both the Pritzker and Biden Administrations, Nikki Budzinski, has declared she’ll run for the seat.
The new 17th district would include Taylorville, home to incumbent Republican congressman Rodney Davis. The district twists and turns from eastern Illinois all the way back north of Bloomington and Peoria, stretching to near Rockford. Davis has been rumored to be considering a bid for another office, possibly governor, if he disliked his new district. He gave no indication of his plans Friday, but issued a statement critical of the map authors.
“As expected, our lying Governor teamed up with state Democrats to draw a shameful, partisan gerrymander in a desperate attempt to keep Nancy Pelosi in power. This proposed map, along with this entire redistricting process, is a complete joke. It’s clear Governor Pritzker and the Democrats will stoop to any low if it means they can keep their corrupt system going," Davis said.
“Anyone who takes even a quick glance at this map can see why politicians should not be drawing districts,” said State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield). “This is an insult to the people of the numerous communities that this gerrymandered map disregards and slices up.”
But after months of speculation over what a map would look like, Democrats defended the product.
“Population changes over the last decade meant many of the current districts were unbalanced. This proposed map is an effort to ensure every community across our state receives fair and equal representation in Washington,” said Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago).
There is still a possibility this map might not be in final form and could be tweaked before a vote. Democrats are expected to face some pushback from certain groups, including Latinos.
But Democrats are also eyeing their goal of U.S. House control. Picking up a seat in Illinois would help that effort.
