 Normally,
people must live in a legislative district for at least
two years before they can run for office there. During the election
immediately following the once-a-decade redistricting, however,
lawmakers can run in any new district that contains part of their
old district, regardless of their current address.
"The idea was that at least initially, it should be possible for a
person not to be automatically eliminated, but to have a chance to
run again in that area," said Dawn Netsch, a constitutional scholar
at Northwestern University Law School who helped draft Illinois'
Constitution.
The political lines in states have to be redrawn each decade to
reflect population changes highlighted by the U.S. census. Data from
the 2010 census is being used to draw the legislative lines
If lawmakers decide to run in their old district, they must move
there after the election to be eligible for the election.
This is especially pertinent to incumbents in the Republican
minority. Many saw the maps for the first time this week and quickly
realized that the Democrats drew them into the same district with
other Republican legislators.
Several Republicans, including GOP Senate Leader Christine Radogno,
now have two choices, if they run in the 2012 election -- run in the
district the Democrats put them in and possibly against fellow
Republicans, or run in another district and move if they win.
Radogno was placed in the same district as freshman Sen. Ron Sandack,
R-Downers Grove.
"I'm just trying to evaluate it. I'm not alarmed by it. I've been in
this situation before; other members have as well. Everyone looks at
all the opportunities that might present," said Radogno, who lives
in Lemont.
Fellow Republican Sen. Dave Luechtefeld lives in Okawville and is
facing a similar situation. He and Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon,
both landed in the 54th District. Luechtefeld said Thursday after
seeing the map that he is contemplating running in his old
district. That would pit him against GOP Sen. John O. Jones in a
primary.
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Outcomes from decisions like these can be divisive to a party, said
John Jackson, a professor of political science for the Paul Simon
Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.
"There's some reassessment that goes in say 2014, but it seems to me
2012 is by far the more important story. The die is more or less
cast after that," Jackson said.
If the 2010 election was good for Republicans, 2012 should be great
for Democrats, Jackson said. In addition to controlling how the
districts will look in that election, it is also a presidential
election year, which generally draws more voters than other years.
"While drawing the lines on the map is terribly important, turnout
is so much more important. It just kind of overwhelms everything
else," Jackson said.
In Illinois, more voters generally translates into more votes for
Democrats, he added.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By ANDREW THOMASON]
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