Republicans Present Own Congressional Map in Court

Illinois’ Republican Congressional delegation is fighting back against the map created by the Democratic majority in Springfield.

On Thursday, the GOP delegation filed a map of their own design in federal court to counter the map that diminishes Republican gains in the 2010 election. In a joint statement, GOP officials said their map version respects “both constitutional and democratic principles.”

When the original map was passed,Republican House members castigated the plan, saying the proposed map “carves up towns and communities with little regard to the values and beliefs of the people who live there.”

“More importantly, this map stands in stark contrast to the contorted map passed by the Democrats, which is so gerrymandered that it can have no goal but to maximize partisan advantage by disregarding the will of Illinois voters,” the Republicans said in a joint statement. “The Fair Map specifically addresses the problems with the Democrats’ map by providing a second district for the state’s growing Latino population, creating district lines that satisfy the tests for compactness, and protecting communities of interest by keeping them wholly within individual districts.”

Rep. Judy Biggert, a Republican who represents Downers Grove, saw her district carved up five different ways. The bulk of Downers residents will now find themselves in the 6th Congressional District, which is represented by Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican. Roskam's district remains a strong Republican base under the original map.

Biggert, of Hinsdale, finds herself in the 5th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Mike Quigley, a Democrat. The district stretches into the city, which typically votes Democrat.

Every 10 years the legislative political lines must be redrawn to account for population shifts recorded in the U.S. Census. Legislative leaders in Springfield are tasked with drawing lines for both chambers of the General Assembly as well as Congressional lines.

Biggert spokesperson Zachary Cikanek that Biggert does not believe the map will stand due to expected lawsuits challenging the lines and has no intention of retiring.

Following the filing of the GOP map, the joint Republican Congressional delegation said they look forward to the court hearing.

“We look forward to an impartial hearing in court that exposes the fatal flaws in the Democrats’ Illinois congressional redistricting scheme and recognizes the fact that creating fair, compact, and representative congressional districts is not only possible, but necessary,” they said.