Illinois Democrats Unveil 2nd Draft Congress Cards | national news

SPRINGFIELD – Democratic leaders in the General Assembly have released a second draft district plans proposed by Congress over the weekend as they prepare for the final three days of their fall veto session.

Like the first card game released on October 15, the latest draft would create a number of oddly shaped districts that are believed to favor Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm election.

They would also create a second “coalition” district in the Chicago area, defined in the Illinois Voting Rights Act as “a district where more than one racial or linguistic minority group can form a coalition to elect the candidate for election. his choice. “

“These new boundaries proposed by Congress are historic and reflect the great diversity found throughout the state,” said Representative Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, who chairs the House Redistricting Committee. “The proposal ensures that minorities, along with the rest of Illinois, have a fair voice in representation in Washington. “

The Illinois congressional delegation is currently split between 13 Democrats and five Republicans, but the state is losing one of its districts next year due to its loss of population since the 2010 census.

An analysis from the political site FiveThirtyEight estimates that the maps would create 13 Democratic-leaning districts, three Republican-leaning districts and one very competitive district, the 17th district, currently represented by Democrat Cheri Bustos, of Moline, who announced that she would not would not seek re-election next year.

Losing two Republican seats in Illinois could prove significant next year as Democrats are expected to lose seats and possibly their slim majority in the US House.

The proposed card would accomplish that, in part, by pitting a number of outgoing Republicans against each other.

Republican Representatives Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, and Mary Miller, of Oakland, would be placed in a single district in southern Illinois.

The map would also place Republican Representatives Darin LaHood, of Peoria, and Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, in a reshaped 16th Borough that would stretch from the Bloomington-Normal area to the Wisconsin border, surrounding the city of Rockford.

Meanwhile, Republican Rodney Davis, of Taylorville, would be placed in a remodeled 15th Borough that includes his hometown, winds east around the town of Champaign, then returns west to encompass much of the center. -western Illinois, from an area just north of St. Louis to an area just south of Quad Cities.

The plan would also create a new 13th Borough that would stretch from Belleville to East St. Louis for about 170 miles along a narrow stretch that would stretch to Springfield, Decatur and Champaign. That district currently has no incumbents, but FiveThirtyEight estimates it would tip Democrats by around 7 percentage points.

Republican leaders in the General Assembly did not immediately comment on the latest proposal, which is still subject to change before lawmakers vote on a new plan, presumably later this week.

The House redistribution committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposal at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Statehouse. The Senate redistribution committee is due to meet on Wednesday, but the time and location have not yet been announced.