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The 4th congressional district of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Jesús "Chuy" García since January 2019.

Illinois's 4th congressional district
From 2013 to 2023 From 2023 to 2033 District boundaries
Representative	Chuy García D–Chicago
Area	52 sq mi (130 km2)
Distribution	100.0% urban 0.0% rural
Population (2021)	640,957
Median household income	$67,607[1]
Ethnicity	69.8% Hispanic 21.3% White 4.4% Black 3.3% Asian 1.0% Two or more races 0.3% other
Cook PVI	D+33[2][3]

In November 2017, incumbent Luis Gutiérrez announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in 2018.[4][5] Jesús "Chuy" García was elected on November 6, 2018.

It was featured by The Economist as one of the most strangely drawn and gerrymandered congressional districts in the country,[6] inspired the "Ugly Gerry" gerrymandering typeface,[7] and has been nicknamed "earmuffs" due to its shape.[8] It was created after federal courts ordered the creation of a majority-Hispanic district in the Chicago area. The Illinois General Assembly responded by packing two majority Hispanic parts of Chicago into a single district.

This district covers two strips running east–west across the city of Chicago, on the west side continuing into smaller portions of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois's 7th congressional district. The northern portion is largely Puerto Rican, while the southern portion is heavily Mexican-American. The two sections 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 New York City and California.[9]

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.[10]

In the redistricting following the 1990 United States Census, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Governor Jim Edgar both wanted a Latino district, as Latinos were the fastest growing demographic group in the state at the time. In June 1991, Congressman Dennis Hastert, a suburban Republican, filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the existing congressional map was unconstitutional;[11] the present congressional district boundaries emerged as a result of that lawsuit. A three-judge panel of the federal district court adopted the map proposed by Hastert and other Republican members of the Illinois Congressional delegation.[12] Subsequent lawsuits challenging the redistricting as racially biased[13] did not succeed in redrawing the district boundaries. The district, as it was in 2009, was in some places less than 50 metres wide and parts covered no more than one city block.[14]

Geographic boundaries

2011 redistricting

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.

Since the 2011 redistricting, the district also includes portions of Berwyn, Brookfield, Cicero, Lyons, Melrose Park, Riverside, River Forest, and Elmwood Park.[15]

2021 redistricting

Composition

#	County	Seat	Population
31	Cook	Chicago	5,173,146
43	DuPage	Wheaton	924,885

Due to the 2020 redistricting, this district will be primarily based around Chicago's Southwest Side and central Cook County, as well as a portion of eastern DuPage.

The 3rd district takes in the Chicago neighborhoods of Brighton Park, West Elsdon, and South Lawndale; most of New City, Pilsen, and Chicago Lawn; the part of Clearing east of S Austin Ave and W Austin Ave; eastern Garfield Ridge; and half of Bridgeport west of S Halsted St.

Outside the Chicago city limits, this district takes in the Cook County communities of Burbank, Berwyn, Cicero, Brookfield, LaGrange Park, Northlake, and Melrose Park; most of Berkeley; and the portion of Franklin Park south of Franklin Ave.

DuPage County is split between this district and the 6th district. They are partitioned by Illinois Highway 64, York St, Euclid Ave, Illinois Highway 38, Illinois Highway 83, West 22nd St, Kingston Dr, Regent Drive, 31st St, Kingey Highway, East Ogden Ave, Naperville Rd, Middaugh Rd, West Chicago Ave, North Prospect Ave, Walker Ave, 55th St, and 59th St.The 4th district takes in the municipalities of Hinsdale; part of Elmhurst; and part of Oak Brook.

Voting

Election results from presidential races

Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Gore 76 – 19%
2004	President	Kerry 79 – 21%
2008	President	Obama 81 – 18%
2012	President	Obama 81 – 17%
2016	President	Clinton 82 – 13%
2020	President	Biden 81 – 17%

Prominent representatives

Representative	Notes
John Wentworth	Elected the 21st Mayor of Chicago (1860 – 1861)
William Kellogg	Appointed Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of the Nebraska Territory (1865 – 1867)
John B. Hawley	Served as a captain for the Union Army during the American Civil War
Daniel W. Mills	Served as a captain for the Union Army during the American Civil War
Stephen A. Hurlbut	Served as a major general for the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861 – 1865) Appointed Minister Resident to the United States of Colombia (1869 – 1872) Appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Peru (1881 – 1882)
Walter C. Newberry	Served as a brigadier general for the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861 – 1865)
Abner C. Harding	Served as a brigadier general for the Union Army during the American Civil War (1862 – 1863)
George M. O'Brien	Served as a lieutenant colonel for the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II (1941 – 1945)

List of members representing the district

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Notes
District created March 4, 1843
John Wentworth	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851	28th 29th 30th 31st	Elected in 1842. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. [data unknown/missing]
Richard S. Molony	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	32nd	Elected in 1850. [data unknown/missing]
James Knox	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. [data unknown/missing]
	Opposition	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th
William Kellogg	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863	35th 36th 37th	Elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. [data unknown/missing]
Charles M. Harris	Democratic	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865	38th	Elected in 1862. [data unknown/missing]
Abner C. Harding	Republican	March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869	39th 40th	Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. [data unknown/missing]
John B. Hawley	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873	41st 42nd	Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Redistricted to the 6th district.
Stephen A. Hurlbut	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877	43rd 44th	Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. [data unknown/missing]
William Lathrop	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879	45th	Elected in 1876. [data unknown/missing]
John C. Sherwin	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883	46th 47th	Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. [data unknown/missing]
George E. Adams	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891	48th 49th 50th 51st	Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. [data unknown/missing]
Walter C. Newberry	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	Elected in 1890. [data unknown/missing]
Julius Goldzier	Democratic	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895	53rd	Elected in 1892. [data unknown/missing]
Charles W. Woodman	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897	54th	Elected in 1894. [data unknown/missing]
Daniel W. Mills	Republican	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	55th	Elected in 1896. [data unknown/missing]
Thomas Cusack	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	56th	Elected in 1898. [data unknown/missing]
James McAndrews	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	Elected in 1900. Redistricted to the 5th district.
George P. Foster	Democratic	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905	58th	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1902. [data unknown/missing]
Charles S. Wharton	Republican	March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1907	59th	Elected in 1904. [data unknown/missing]
James T. McDermott	Democratic	March 4, 1907 – July 21, 1914	60th 61st 62nd 63rd	Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Resigned.
Vacant		July 21, 1914 – March 3, 1915	63rd
James T. McDermott	Democratic	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917	64th	Re-elected in 1914 to fill his own seat. Retired.
Charles Martin	Democratic	March 4, 1917 – October 28, 1917	65th	Elected in 1916. Died.
Vacant		October 28, 1917 – April 2, 1918	65th
John W. Rainey	Democratic	April 2, 1918 – May 4, 1923	65th 66th 67th 68th	Elected to finish Martin's term. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Died.
Vacant		May 4, 1923 – November 6, 1923	68th
Thomas A. Doyle	Democratic	November 6, 1923 – March 3, 1931	68th 69th 70th 71st	Elected to finish Rainey's term. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. [data unknown/missing]
Harry P. Beam	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – December 6, 1942	72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th	Elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Resigned after being elected judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago.
Vacant		December 6, 1942 – January 3, 1943	77th
Martin Gorski	Democratic	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949	78th 79th 80th	Elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Redistricted to the 5th district.
James V. Buckley	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951	81st	Elected in 1948. [data unknown/missing]
William E. McVey	Republican	January 3, 1951 – August 10, 1958	82nd 83rd 84th 85th	Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Died.
Vacant		August 10, 1958 – January 3, 1959	85th
Ed Derwinski	Republican	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1983	86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th	Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. [data unknown/missing]
George M. O'Brien	Republican	January 3, 1983 – July 17, 1986	98th 99th	Redistricted from the 17th district and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Died.
Vacant		July 17, 1986 – January 3, 1987	99th
Jack Davis	Republican	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1989	100th	Elected in 1986. [data unknown/missing]
George E. Sangmeister	Democratic	January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993	101st 102nd	Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the 11th district.
Luis Gutiérrez	Democratic	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2019	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired.
Jesús "Chuy" García	Democratic	January 3, 2019 – Present	116th 117th	Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022.

Election results

2012

Illinois's 4th congressional district, 2012[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Luis Gutiérrez (incumbent)	133,226	83.0
	Republican	Héctor Concepción	27,279	17.0
	Independent	Ymelda Viramontes	4	0.0
Total votes			160,509	100.0
	Democratic hold

2014

Illinois's 4th congressional district, 2014[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Luis Gutiérrez (incumbent)	79,666	78.1
	Republican	Hector Concepción	22,278	21.9
Total votes			101,944	100.0
	Democratic hold

2016

Illinois's 4th congressional district, 2016 [18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Luis Gutiérrez (incumbent)	171,297	100.0
Total votes			171,297	100.0
	Democratic hold

2018

Illinois's 4th congressional district, 2018[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jesús "Chuy" García	143,895	86.6
	Republican	Mark Lorch	22,294	13.4
Total votes			166,189	100.0
	Democratic hold

2020

Illinois's 4th congressional district, 2020[20][21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jesús "Chuy" García (incumbent)	187,219	84.05	-2.54%
	Republican	Jesus E. Solorio Jr.	35,518	15.95	+2.54%
Total votes			222,737	100.0
	Democratic hold

See also

• Illinois's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts
• Gerrymandering
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2006
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2008
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2010
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2012
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2014
• United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2016

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 4th District of Illinois
• U.S. Census Bureau – 4th District Fact Sheet
• "U.S. Census Bureau – 4th District map" (PDF). (1.12 MiB)

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