Illinois's 4th congressional district

Illinois's 4th congressional district
Illinois's 4th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative Luis Gutiérrez (D–Chicago)
Area 52 mi2
Distribution 100.0% urban, 0.0% rural
Population (2011 est.) 737,025
Median income $39,744
Ethnicity 57.9% White, 3.9% Black, 2.3% Asian, 71.8% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 33.1% other
Cook PVI D+29[1][2]

The 4th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutiérrez since January 1993.

It was featured by The Economist as one of the most strangely drawn and gerrymandered congressional districts in the country[3] and has been nicknamed "earmuffs" due to its shape.[4] It was created to pack two majority Hispanic parts of Chicago into one district.

This district covers two strips running east-west across the city of Chicago, Illinois on the west side continuing into smaller portions of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois' 7th congressional district. The northern portion is largely Puerto Rican, while the southern portion is heavily Mexican. The two sections are on opposite sides of the city and are only connected by a piece of Interstate 294 to the west; the highway is in the district while the surrounding areas are not. It is the smallest congressional district in area outside of New York City and San Francisco.[5]

Although today the 4th congressional district is one of the most Democratic in the nation, two of the most famous representatives to represent the 4th congressional district have been Republicans: Edward Derwinski, the first United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Stephen A. Hurlbut, commander of the Army of the Gulf during the Civil War.

2011 redistricting

The district covers parts of Cook County, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Berwyn, Brookfield, Chicago, Cicero, Lyons and Melrose Park are included.[6] The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 3, 2013.

Elections

2012 election

Voting

Election results from presidential races
Year Office Results
2012 President Obama 81 – 17% Romney[2]
2008 President Obama 81 – 18% McCain[2]
2004 President Kerry 79 – 21% Bush
2000 President Gore 76 – 19% Bush

Geography

The 4th District includes the Chicago community of Brighton Park, in addition to almost all of Hermosa, Lower West Side and Gage Park; parts of Albany Park, Irving Park, Avondale, Logan Square, West Town, Humboldt Park, Belmont Cragin, Austin, McKinley Park, South Lawndale, New City, West Elsdon and Archer Heights; portions of riverfront Bridgeport; the portion of North Center southwest of Clybourn Avenue; and the northwestern tip of Lincoln Park.

History

The Illinois 4th Congressional District was originally formed in 1842. It included 17 counties, which were Cook, Lake, McHenry, Boone, De Kalb, Kane, Du Page, Will, Kendall, Grundy, La Salle, Bureau, Livingston, Iroquois, McLean, Vermilion and Champaign Counties. Beyond this Ford and Kankakee Counties were part of Vermillion and Iroquois Counties respectively at this point and thus in the district's boundaries.[7]

List of representatives

Representative Party Years District home Notes
District created
 March 4, 1843
John Wentworth Democratic March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851
Richard S. Molony Democratic March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853
James Knox Whig March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855
Opposition March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857
William Kellogg Republican March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863
Charles M. Harris Democratic March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865
Abner C. Harding Republican March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869
John B. Hawley Republican March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 Redistricted to the 6th district
Stephen A. Hurlbut Republican March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877
William Lathrop Republican March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
John C. Sherwin Republican March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883
George E. Adams Republican March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891
Walter C. Newberry Democratic March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893
Julius Goldzier Democratic March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895
Charles W. Woodman Republican March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897
Daniel W. Mills Republican March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899
Thomas Cusack Democratic March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901
James McAndrews Democratic March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 Redistricted to the 5th district
George P. Foster Democratic March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905 Redistricted from the 3rd district
Charles S. Wharton Republican March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1907
James T. McDermott Democratic March 4, 1907 – July 21, 1914 Resigned
Vacant
 July 21, 1914 – March 4, 1915
James T. McDermott Democratic March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917 Re-elected to fill his own seat
Charles Martin Democratic March 4, 1917 – October 28, 1917 Died
Vacant
 October 28, 1917 – April 2, 1918
John W. Rainey Democratic April 2, 1918 – May 4, 1923 Died
Vacant
 May 4, 1923 – November 6, 1923
Thomas A. Doyle Democratic November 6, 1923 – March 3, 1931
Harry P. Beam Democratic March 4, 1931 – December 6, 1942 Resigned after being elected judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago
Vacant
 December 6, 1942 – January 3, 1943
Martin Gorski Democratic January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949 Redistricted to the 5th district
James V. Buckley Democratic January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951
William E. McVey Republican January 3, 1951 – August 10, 1958 Died
Vacant
 August 10, 1958 – January 3, 1959
Ed Derwinski Republican January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1983
George M. O'Brien Republican January 3, 1983 – July 17, 1986 Redistricted from the 17th district, Died
Vacant
 July 17, 1986 – January 3, 1987
Jack Davis Republican January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1989
George E. Sangmeister Democratic January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993 Redistricted to the 11th district
Luis Gutiérrez Democratic January 3, 1993 – Present Incumbent

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
  2. 1 2 3 Barone, Michael; McCutcheon, Chuck (2013). The Almanac of American Politics 2014. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-10544-4. Copyright National Journal.
  3. ↑ The Economist (April 25, 2002). "How to rig an election".
  4. ↑ Aaron Blake (July 27, 2011). "Name that district! (Gerrymandering edition)". Washington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Congressional Districts by Land Area (National)". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (ASCII text) on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  6. ↑ Illinois Congressional District 4, Illinois Board of Elections
  7. ↑ Parson, Stanley B., William W. Beach and Michael J. Durbin. United States Congressional Districts and Data, 1843–1883 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1986) p. 9

External links

Coordinates: 41°49′55″N 87°42′36″W / 41.83194°N 87.71000°W / 41.83194; -87.71000

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