 Across the state, Illinois' GOP members of Congress are being forced
to launch their 2012 re-election bids amid an atmosphere of
uncertainty as they wait to see whether a federal court in Chicago
upholds the congressional map signed into law by Democratic Gov. Pat
Quinn. It throws many of them out of their old districts and into
unfriendly Democratic territory or forces them to run against each
other.Kinzinger, whose current 11th Congressional District
includes part of the Twin Cities and much of central Illinois, and
Biggert, from the western Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, were among 10
of the 11 Republicans in Illinois' congressional delegation who
joined a lawsuit against the state in a long-shot challenge over the
new map. Democrats were in charge of map-making because they control
the Illinois Legislature and the governor's office. Republicans have
submitted an alternative map to the court, which is scheduled to
hear the case starting on Nov. 17.
If the Democrats' map stands, Biggert will run in the new 11th
Congressional District, where she doesn't live. But if the court
adopts the Republican plan, she would run in that map's 13th
District, where she does live.
Republicans also claim the map discriminates against Latino
voters by packing most into one district and diluting their voting
strength in other places, although some Latino groups support the
map.
The importance of Illinois' legal skirmish involves simple
arithmetic: Democrats nationally are out to win back control of the
U.S. House after losing it last year to the GOP that sent five
Illinois freshmen, including Kinzinger, to Washington.
Now, Kinzinger, 33, will be forced to hunt for a new home --
literally -- regardless of which map ultimately is used.
In October, Kinzinger, of Manteno, formally announced he would
try to oust 10-term GOP congressman Don Manzullo in the new 16th
District in next year's primary.
But if the Republican map is instituted by the court, he'd run in
yet another district that captures rural areas as far west as McLean
County and wouldn't prompt a primary fight, which would cost one of
them their job. The remap has already cost Illinois one
congressional district because of slowing population growth.
"It's inconvenient. It's an annoyance not being able to
necessarily know, and it is what it is, and thankfully we don't have
to go through this every two years," Kinzinger said.
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Meanwhile, Manzullo will run in the 16th District regardless of
which map is used because Ogle County, where he lives, is included
in both versions, said Rich Carter, the congressman's spokesman.
The uncertainty over re-elections happens every 10 years when new
maps are drawn based on the latest census.
Republicans shouldn't count on winning their court battle, because
the courts typically don't have a problem with partisan advantage in
the maps and some Latino groups support the new version, said Chris
Mooney, a political science professor at the University of Illinois
Springfield.
"The current map's probably going to stand. It's quite unlikely
that the court is going to overthrow this map," said Mooney, who
also doubted whether the uncertainty was having an effect on anyone
besides politicians waiting for the legal challenge to be resolved.
"It's more unsettling for the politicians than the voters. I
don't think the voters are paying that much attention, especially in
Chicago and the suburban area (where) people don't know their
congressman really well," he said.
[Associated Press;
By DEANNA BELLANDI]
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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