Illinois's 17th congressional district

Illinois's 17th congressional district
Current Representative		Cheri Bustos (D–East Moline)
Cook PVI	D+6

The 17th Congressional District of Illinois is represented by Democrat Cheri Bustos.

The 17th congressional district has shifted northward after the 2012 redistricting. It now includes parts of Rockford and Peoria and no longer includes Quincy, Decatur, or Springfield, Illinois. As a result, the new map may ensure a Democratic majority. Schilling was defeated by Democratic opponent Cheri Bustos in the 2012 election cycle.

The district from 2003 to 2013

2011 redistricting

The district covers parts of Peoria, Tazewell and Winnebago counties, and all of Carroll, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mercer, Rock Island, Stephenson, Warren and Whiteside counties, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galesburg, Kewanee, Moline, Rock Island, Rockford, Pekin and Sterling are included. The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 5, 2013.

Elections

2012 election

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2012

History

From 2003 to 2013 the district was known as "the rabbit on a skateboard" for its unusual shape devised as the outcome of gerrymandering. The boundaries were drawn in a bipartisan deal to protect both the Democratic incumbent and neighboring Republican incumbents. The lines of the district were drawn to move Republican voters into neighboring districts and to include Democratic neighborhoods in Springfield and Decatur.

Voting

Election results from presidential races
Year	Office	Results
2008	President	Obama 56 - 42%
2004	President	Kerry 51 - 48%
2000	President	Gore 53 - 43%

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Notes
District created March 4, 1873
William R. Morrison	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1883		Redistricted to the 18th district
Samuel W. Moulton	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1885		Redistricted from the 15th district
John R. Eden	Democratic	March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1887
Edward Lane	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 4, 1895
James A. Connolly	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 4, 1899
Ben F. Caldwell	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1903		Redistricted to the 21st district
John A. Sterling	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 4, 1913
Louis Fitzhenry	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1915
John A. Sterling	Republican	March 4, 1915 – October 17, 1918		Died
Vacant		October 17, 1918 - March 3, 1919
Frank L. Smith	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 4, 1921
Frank H. Funk	Republican	March 4, 1921 – March 4, 1927
Homer W. Hall	Republican	March 4, 1927 – March 4, 1933
Frank Gillespie	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Leslie C. Arends	Republican	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1973		Redistricted to the 15th district
George M. O'Brien	Republican	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1983		Redistricted to the 4th district
Lane Evans	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2007
Phil Hare	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Bobby Schilling	Republican	January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Cheri Bustos	Democratic	January 3, 2013 –

See also

• Gerrymander

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• Washington Post page on the 17th District of Illinois
• U.S. Census Bureau - 17th District Fact Sheet
• U.S. Census Bureau - 17th District map PDF (6.29 MiB)