Politics & Government
Evergreen Park Remains in 1st District, But It'll Be Much Bigger
Bobby Rush's district now stretches from the inner-city, through Evergreen and out to Elwood. The GOP says it will challenge the map in court.
Evergreen Park remains in the 1st Congressional District under a new map signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn today. Now, however, Bobby Rush's district has nearly doubled in size, extending all the way out to Will County, as far southwest as Frankfort and Elwood.
The northern-most portion of the district still dips into Chicago's inner-city neighborhoods. The Democratic-drawn map of new congressional boundaries is designed to reverse Republican gains in last year’s election, according to the Chicago Tribune.
More than just reflecting population shifts, the map lines also reflect the political power of controlling the cartography.
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The map pits some incumbent Republicans against others, stretches boundaries to allow incumbent Chicago Democrats to reach out into the GOP-leaning suburbs or gives GOP congressmen vast swatches of new unfamiliar territory.
GOP congressmen, including Adam Kinzinger, whose territory was appropriated into Rush's district, said they will take the map to court.
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“I have carefully reviewed the congressional redistricting map. This map is fair, maintains competitiveness within congressional districts, and protects the voting rights of minority communities," the Tribune quoted Quinn saying.
Although Rush will now have to divide his attention between the interest of many more people and towns, Evergreen Park Mayor James Sexton was unfazed.
"It is what it is," he said, tersely. "All of what I have to worry about is our representation."
Rush could not be reached for immediate comment.
Updated at 6:02 p.m. to include a quote from Sexton.
