Northern Suburbs Split by Proposed New Congressional Map

Many citizens of Illinois’s current Tenth Congressional District will have a new member of Congress, according to a proposed redistricting map released Friday.

Every ten years, Congressional boundaries are redrawn to adjust for population shifts noted in the United States Census. The proposed map released Friday shows the planned borders for the state’s 18 Congressional districts.

Illinois lost a seat in the House of Representatives because the state grew at a slower rate than other states. A vote on the new map by the Illinois General Assembly is planned this weekend.

In the current Tenth district, Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) represents all of Grayslake, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Winnetka, Glencoe, Deerfield, Northbrook, Libertyville and Buffalo Grove as well as most of Glenview and Wilmette. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) serves the remainder of Glenview and Wilmette.

Dold's home switches districts

If the proposed map is approved, Schakowsky will act for more of these communities than before, and Dold's Kenilworth home will be located in Schakowsky's redrawn Ninth Congressional District.

Legally, Dold can run in either place. The law only requires a member of Congress to live in the state they are representing. When Wilmette business consultant Dan Seals ran against Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) in 2006 and 2008 as well as against Dold in 2010, Seals lived in Schakowsky’s district.

The new Ninth District will include all of Winnetka, Kenilworth and Wilmette as well as large portions of Glenview and Northbrook. It will also encompass a tiny portion of extreme southeastern Glencoe.

The reconstituted Tenth will continue to cover all of Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Libertyville and Grayslake. It will still include most of Glencoe as well as significant parts of Northbrook and Glenview.

The Lake County portions of the Eighth Congressional are now either part of the Tenth or the 16th represented by Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Rockford). Current Eighth Rep. Joe Walsh (R-McHenry) now lives in the newly drawn 14th District along with Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Winfield). The Eighth is now primarily a Cook County district.

Walsh can choose to run in the reconstituted Eighth or against Hultgren.

'Map was gerrymandered'

Dold was not the only Republican placed in a district with another sitting representative in the proposed map. The same occurred for two other constituencies. No current member of Congress lives in either the redrawn Tenth District or the Eighth.

With Democrats controlling both chambers of the General Assembly as well as the governor’s office, Dold and Kirk were quick to blame partisan politics for the changes.

“This map was gerrymandered to ensure suburban voters will have little voice in Congress,” Dold said. “This proposal appears to be little more than an attempt to undo the results of the election held just six months ago.”

Kirk agreed with Dold about the gerrymandering and the loss of a suburban representation. He also saw partisan efforts in the new boundaries.

"The draft map is the unfortunate result of cynical partisans who want to override the decision of Illinois voters who elected fiscal conservatives to Congress,” Kirk said. “Its main purpose is to force (Rep.) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) back into power.”

Schakowsky declined to comment until the legislature passes a final map.

While Dold said nothing about whether he will run against Schakowsky or in the reconstituted Tenth, where many of his current constituents live, he made it clear he intends to continue on the mission he began when he was elected.

“The people of my district sent me to Washington to solve our nation's serious challenges,” Dold said. “In my first five months in office, we have put forward solutions to address those challenges but more work remains. I intend to continue to work tirelessly for my constituents and to be a Member of Congress until that work is done.”

One person who will not be making a race for the new Tenth District seat is state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) though she believes the area is now more Democratic friendly. Her name has been mentioned as a possible candidate.

“From my perspective, the Tenth is more complete with more communities remaining together. I like the look,” Garrett said. “With everything we have to do map drawing is very complex. Everyone won’t be happy.”