Cook County Board of Commissioners 17th district explained

Cook County Board of Commissioners 17th district
Official Name:District 17
Government Type:District
Governing Body:Cook County Board of Commissioners
Leader Party:R
Leader Title:Commissioner
Leader Name:Sean M. Morrison
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Illinois
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Cook
Parts Type:Townships and equivalent jurisdictions
P1:Chicago
P2:Elk Grove Township
P3:Maine Township
P4:Lemont Township
P5:Leyden Township
P6:Lyons Township
P7:Orland Township
P8:Palos Township
P9:Proviso Township
P10:Worth Township
Parts:list

Cook County Board of Commissioners 17th district is a single-member electoral district for the Cook County Board of Commissioners. It is currently represented by Sean M. Morrison, a Republican. It is the only seat on the Board of Commissioners that is currently represented by a Republican.

History

The district was established in 1994, when the board transitioned from holding elections in individual districts, as opposed to the previous practice of having two multi-member districts districts: one for ten members from the city of Chicago and another for seven members from suburban Cook County.[1]

Geography

1994 boundaries

In its initial 1994 iteration, the district encompassed parts of the northwest, west, and southwest suburbs of Cook County.[2]

2001 redistricting

New boundaries were adopted in August 2001, with redistricting taking place following the 2000 United States Census.[3]

In regards to townships and equivalent jurisdictions, the district's redistricted boundaries included portions of the city of Chicago, as well as portions of Bremen, Elk Grove, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, Northfield, Orland, Palos, Proviso, Wheeling, and Worth townships.[4]

2012 redistricting

The district, as redistricted in 2012 following the 2010 United States Census, included parts of Bensenville, Berkeley, Burr Ridge, Brookfield, Chicago, Countryside, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Franklin Park, Hickory Hills, Hillsdale, Hillside, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Homer Glen, Indian Head Park, Justice, La Grange, La Grange Park, Lemont, Northlake, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Ridge, Riverside, Rosment, Schiller Park, Tinley, Western Springs, Westcherster, Worth, Willow Springs.[5] [6] [7]

In regards to townships and equivalent jurisdictions, it included portions of the city of Chicago, as well as portions of Bremen, Elk Grove, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Orland, Palos, Proviso, Maine, Riverside, and Worth townships.[8]

The district almost entirely lied in suburban Cook County, as the only part of Chicago in the district was O'Hare International Airport and its direct surroundings.[6] [7]

The district was 144.60 square miles (92,544.64 acres).[9]

2022 redistricting

The district, as redistricted in 2022 following the 2020 United States Census is contained portions of the city of Chicago as well as portions of Elk Grove, Maine, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Orland, Palos, Proviso, and Worth townships.[10]

Politics

The district has only had Republican commissioners since its inception, the only district for which this is the case. The district has been considered solidly Republican.[11] Nevertheless, it saw a close result in its most recent election, which saw an unprecedentedly strong and well-funded effort by the Cook County Democratic Party to target the district.[12]

For decades after its inception, the district was considered to be a Republican stronghold.[13] [14] However, in the 2016 United States presidential election, the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine won a strong victory in the district over the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.[14]

The district is currently the district represented by a Republican commissioner, and the only one to never have been represented by the Democratic commissioner.

List of commissioners representing the district

CommissionerPartyYearsElectoral history
align=left Herb SchumannRepublicannowrap December 1994–December 2002Previously served two terms as commissioner from suburban Cook County at-large;[15] elected in 1994 and 1998; lost reelection in 2002
align=left
Elizabeth Ann Doody Gorman
Republicannowrap December 2002–July 20, 2015Elected in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014; resigned in July 2015[16]
align=left Sean M. MorrisonRepublicannowrap July 2015–presentAppointed in July 2015; elected in 2018 and 2022

Election results

|-| colspan=16 style="text-align:center;" |Cook County Board of Commissioners 17th district general elections|-!Year!Winning candidate!Party!Vote (pct)!Opponent!Party! Vote (pct)!Opponent!Party! Vote (pct)|-|1994[17] | |Herbert T. Schumann, Jr.| |Republican| | 54,502 (65.85%)| | William Hurley| |Democratic| | 28,267 (34.15%)| | | |-|1998[18] | |Herbert T. Schumann, Jr.| | Republican| |50,720 (56.82%)| | John K. Murphy| | Democratic| | 38,545 (43.18%)| | | |-|2002[19] [20] | |Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman| | Republican| |53,212 (100%)| | | | | | |-|2006[21] | |Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman| | Republican| |49,425 (55.60%)| | Thomas "Tommy" Kraus| | Democratic| | 39,473 (44.40%)| | | |-|2010[22] | |Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman| | Republican| |56,423 (58.59%)| | Patrick Maher| | Democratic| | 34,686 (36.02%)| | Matthew J. Ogean| | Green| | 5,194 (5.39%)|-|2014[23] | |Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman| | Republican| |56,926 (100%)| | | | | | |-|2018[24] | |Sean M. Morrison| | Republican| |61,572 (50.57%)| | Abdelnasser Rashid| | Democratic| | 60,195 (49.43%)| | | |-|2022[25] | |Sean M. Morrison| | Republican| |55,426 (51.29%)| | Daniel T. Calandriello| | Democratic| | 52,638 (48.71%)| | |

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Choices for Cook County Board . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 16 October 2020 . 22 October 1998.
  2. Web site: Endorsements for Cook County Board . chicagotribune.com . 26 October 2020.
  3. Web site: Becker . Robert . County's proposed redistricting map has a familiar look . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 24 August 2001.
  4. Web site: Commissioner District 17 . cookcountyclerk.com . Cook County Clerk . https://web.archive.org/web/20101121155538/http://cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Precinct/CB17.pdf . 21 November 2010.
  5. Web site: Leonard . Valerie . Redistricting of Cook County board to be determined in coming weeks . AustinTalks . 26 October 2020 . 11 May 2012.
  6. Web site: Cook County Commissioner District 17 Municipalities. Office of the Cook County Clerk. 2013-12-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20140911023300/http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/Documents/Cook%20County%20Board%20Commissioner%20Districts/Municipality/CB17.pdf. 2014-09-11. dead.
  7. Web site: Cook County Commissioner District 17 Municipalities . Cook County Clerk . 28 October 2020 . August 2012.
  8. Web site: Cook County Commissioner District 17.pdf . Cook County Clerk . 26 October 2020.
  9. Web site: Chicago Cityscape - Map of building projects, properties, and businesses in District 17, Commissioner Sean M. Morrison (Cook County Commissioner District) . www.chicagocityscape.com . 31 October 2020 . en.
  10. Web site: Election Viewer . maps.cookcountyil.gov . 5 April 2023.
  11. Web site: Palos GOP’s Morrison elected and sworn in to succeed Orland’s Gorman on Cook County Board . theregionalnews.com . The Regional News . 21 November 2020 . 23 July 2015.
  12. Web site: Swanson . Lorraine . Morrison Squeaks By Rashid In Cook County Board Nail Biter . Palos, IL Patch . 28 October 2020 . en . 6 November 2018.
  13. Web site: Donovan . Lisa . Pratt . Gregory . In Cook County Board races, Republican strongholds lose grip to blue wave — and a lot of green . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 26 October 2020 . 7 November 2018.
  14. Web site: Pratt . Gregory . Democrats focus on longtime GOP strongholds hoping to increase Cook County Board lead: 'The suburbs ... are not what they once were.' . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 28 October 2020 . 2 November 2018.
  15. Web site: HERBERT T. SCHUMANN SR. . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune . 23 June 2020 . 21 November 1990.
  16. Web site: Zumbach . Lauren . July 22, 2015 . Morrison appointed to replace Gorman as Cook County commissioner . June 9, 2020 . chicagotribune.com . Chicago Tribune.
  17. Web site: Cook County offices . Newspapers.com . Chicago Tribune . 14 May 2021 . en . subscription . 10 Nov 1994.
  18. Web site: OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1998 . results.cookcountyclerkil.gov .
  19. Web site: TABULATED STATEMENT OF THE RETURNS AND PROCLAMATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE CANVASS OF THE ELECTION RETURNS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD IN EACH OF THE PRECINCTS IN ALL THE WARDS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2002 A.D. . Chicago Board of Election Commissioners . 18 June 2020.
  20. Web site: SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY RESULTS . voterinfonet.com . Cook County Clerk . https://web.archive.org/web/20050209124209/http://www.voterinfonet.com/results/11502results/ . 9 February 2005 . dead.
  21. Web site: Cook County and the City of Chicago Combined Summary Report November 2006 General Election Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020 . September 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210922154748/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/2006NovemberCombinedSUMMARY.pdf . dead .
  22. Web site: Cook County General Election November 2, 2010 Combined Summary Report . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020.
  23. Web site: General Election Cook County and The City of Chicago Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Combined Summary . Cook County Clerk's Office . 16 March 2020 . January 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128082518/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/CombinedSummaryReport110414%20(1).pdf . dead .
  24. Web site: Cook County and The City of Chicago General Election November 6, 2018 Combined Summary . March 9, 2020 . Cook County Clerk's Office . July 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210708233020/https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/sites/default/files/CombinedSummary.pdf . dead .
  25. Web site: Tabulated Statement of the Returns and Proclamation of the Results of the Canvass of the Election Returns for the November 8, 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Held in Each of the Precincts in Cook County, Illinois Including the City of Chicago . www.cookcountyclerkil.gov . Cook County Clerk . 6 December 2022 . 2022.