| State: | Illinois |
| District Number: | 2 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Robin Kelly |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Matteson |
| English Area: | 3935.9 |
| Population: | 720,502 |
| Population Year: | 2023 |
| Median Income: | $61,221[1] |
| Percent White: | 33.3 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 15.3 |
| Percent Black: | 47.0 |
| Percent Asian: | 0.9 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 3.0 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.5 |
| Cpvi: | D+19[2] |
Illinois's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in the south suburbs of Chicago, the district includes southern Cook county, eastern Will county, and Kankakee county, as well as the city of Chicago's far southeast side.
Illinois's 2nd congressional district is adjacent to the 1st congressional district to the north and west, the 16th congressional district to the south, and Indiana's 1st congressional district to the east. The district's northeast border follows Lake Michigan's shoreline for several miles. The district was created following the 1830 U.S. census and came into existence in 1833, five months before Chicago was organized as a town. The 2nd congressional district initially included Southeastern Illinois until 1853[3] [4] and stretches of Northern Illinois until 1873.[5] [6] It has been based in Chicago since 1853, and part of the southeast side since 1903. Redistricting following the 2000 U.S. census placed a majority of the district's population outside Chicago for the first time in 100 years, and moved the district's borders beyond Cook County for the first time since 1873.
As in the neighboring 1st District, a majority of this district's residents (62.4%) are African American. The district has been reliably Democratic since the 1960s; it has been in Democratic hands for all but two terms since 1935, and last elected a Republican to Congress in 1950. Democratic congressional candidates regularly receive over 80% of the vote here. It has been held by black representatives since 1981.
The southeast side of Chicago was for many decades the home of numerous Eastern European and Irish immigrants who sought the industrial work of the steel mills and railroad companies which were then dominant in the area. However, as local industry declined in the 1950s and 1960s, these groups were increasingly displaced by African Americans who were gradually migrating southward from other parts of the city. Whereas barely 20% of district residents were black in the 1960s,[7] this figure increased to 70% by the 1980s,[8] and by the 1990s the racial demographics of the 1st and 2nd congressional districts were very similar. At the same time, decreasing population in the district required expanding its borders into the suburbs, and it is now nearly three times the size it was in the 1980s, when it covered only 68sqmi.
Following redistricting for the 2000s (decade), 59% of the 2nd congressional district's population resides in the suburbs, with a total of 98.4% living in Cook County. The district's white population (almost 30% of its residents) now primarily resides in the southern suburbs and a few far southeastern Chicago neighborhoods such as East Side and Hegewisch.[9]
Several suburbs closer to Chicago near Interstate 57 have black populations exceeding 75%: Calumet Park, Country Club Hills, Dolton, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Markham, Matteson, Phoenix, Richton Park, Riverdale, and University Park. In contrast, there are five suburbs further southeast with white populations exceeding 75% - Homewood, Lansing, South Chicago Heights, Steger and Thornton - although they surround Ford Heights, with a population of only about 2800 the district's most racially one-sided population (96% black). Chicago Heights features the most even racial mix, with a population that is 45% white and 38% black. The district's largest white ethnic groups are German (5.8%), Irish (4.4%), Polish (4.4%) and Italian (3.1%),[10] similar to other districts in southern Cook County.
Hispanics represent 10% of the district's population, with sizable communities in East Side and Chicago Heights. Chicago's South Shore neighborhood was the longtime home to a Jewish community which has since migrated to suburbs such as Homewood and Flossmoor http://www.c-j-c.org/community.html. South Shore is now primarily a middle-class black community and is also home to a notable minority of Black Muslims including the national headquarters of the Nation of Islam, Mosque Maryam.
The district includes some sharp economic disparities. Olympia Fields, Country Club Hills and Matteson are affluent suburbs with black majority populations, but Ford Heights (only four miles east of Olympia Fields) is one of the most impoverished places in the United States, with a median household income of just $17,500 in 2000 - less than 42% of the national average. It is home to more single mothers per capita than anyplace else in the country.[11]
The district covers parts of Cook and Will counties and all of Kankakee, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Bradley, Bourbonnais, Calumet City, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Dolton, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Markham, Matteson, Park Forest, Richton Park, Riverdale, Sauk Village, Steger and Thornton are included.[12] The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 3, 2013.
| County | Seat | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Champaign | Urbana | 205,644 | |
| 31 | Cook | Chicago | 5,087,072 | |
| 53 | Ford | Paxton | 13,250 | |
| 75 | Iroquois | Watseka | 26,136 | |
| 91 | Kankakee | Kankakee | 105,940 | |
| 105 | Livingston | Pontiac | 35,320 | |
| 183 | Vermilion | Danville | 71,652 | |
| 197 | Will | Joliet | 700,728 |
Following the 2020 redistricting, the district will still encompass the south suburbs of Chicago, eastern Will County, most of Kankakee County, and Chicago's far southeast side. Additionally, it now takes in Iroquois County; most of Ford and Vermilion; eastern Livingston County including half of Pontiac; and the portion of Champaign County north of County Road 3000 N.
The 2nd district takes in the Chicago neighborhoods of Hegewisch and Riverdale; most of South Deering and Pullman; the coastal portion of Kenwood; the eastern part of Woodlawn and Hyde Park taking up Jackson Park; the portion of South Shore east of East 71st Street and South Yates Blvd (including Rainbow Beach Park); and part of Roseland.
Outside of the Chicago city limits, the district takes in the Cook County communities of Dolton, South Holland, Chicago Heights, Sauk Village, Park Forest (shared with Will County), Lansing, Burnham, Calumet City, Phoenix, Hazel Crest, East Hazel Crest, Thornton, Flossmoor, Glenwood, Olympia Fields, Ford Heights, Lynwood, Richton Park, South Chicago Heights, and Steger (shared with Will County); part of Blue Island; part of Riverdale; part of Dixmoor; part of Markham; part of Frankfort (shared with Will County); most of Harvey; most of Country Club Hills; and most of Matteson.
Will County is split between this district and the 1st district. They are partitioned by South Harlem Ave, West Peotone Rd, North Peotone Rd, West Kennedy Rd, Rock Creek, and South Center Rd. The 2nd district takes in the communities of Peotone, Beecher, Crete, Steger (shared with Cook County), Park Forest (shared with Cook County), Monee, University Park, Goodenow, Plum Valley, Willowbrook, Eagle Lake, and part of Frankfort (shared with Cook County)
Kankakee County is split between this district and the 1st district. They are partitioned by North 5000E Rd, East 6000N Rd, Cardinal Drive, Durham St, East Armour Rd, East Marsile St, Bisallion Ave, and the Kankakee River. The 2nd district takes in the communities of Kankakee, Momence, Aroma Park, Grant Park, Herscher, Hopkins Park, St. Anne, Sun River Terrace, Sammons Point, Chebanse (shared with Iroquois County), Irwin, Limestone, Bonfield, Essex, Reddick, Union Hill, Buckingham, Cabery (shared with Ford County); most of Bradley; and half of Bourbonnais.
Vermilion County is split between this district and the 15th district. They are partitioned by Twin Hills Rd, 1730 East, 1295 North, 1700 East, 1200 North, 1670 Rd East, 1050 North, Highway 150, Westville Ln, 1100 North, 800 East, 1200 North, and Lincoln Trail Rd. The 2nd district takes in the communities of Danville, Tilton, Bismarck, Hoopeston, Rankin, East Lynn, Rossville, Potomac, Henning, Alvin, Fithian, Muncie, Oakwood, Catlin, Westville, and Belgium.
Ford County is split between this district and the 16th district. They are partitioned by E 900N Rd, N Melvin St, E 8th St, and N 500E Rd. The 2nd district takes in the municipalities of Paxton, Cabery (shared with Kankakee County), Elliott, Kempton, Piper City, Roberts, Sibley, Melvin, Roberts; and part of Gibson City.
Livingston County is split between this district and the 16th district. They are partitioned by N 1800 Rd East, E 1550 Rd North, N 1600 Rd East, E 1500 Rd North, N 1500 Rd East, W Reynolds St, Highway 55, The Slough, E 1830 Rd North, Old IL-66 South, N 1700 Rd East, N 2125 Rd North, and N 1800 Rd East. The 2nd district takes in the municipalities of Fairbury, Chatsworth, Strawn, Forrest, Saunemin, Cullom, Odell, Emington, Campus; most of Dwight; and half of Pontiac.
Champaign County is split between this district, the 13th district, and the 15th district. They are partitioned by County Road 3000 N, County Road 1200 E, East Chandler St, and County Road 2000 E. The 2nd district takes in the municipalities of Rantoul, Dewey, Ludlow, and Foosland; most of Fisher; and part of Gifford.
The 2nd Congressional District was, for most of the 20th century, a thriving center of heavy industry centered around Lake Calumet and the Port of Chicago, augmented by the nearby railroad industry which had the Pullman Company as its centerpiece. The steel industry was a major component, with U.S. Steel at one time employing 20,000 district residents, but the Wisconsin Steelworks in South Deering [13] closed in March 1980, and U.S. Steel's South Works plant in South Chicago [14] - source of the steel for Chicago skyscrapers including the Sears Tower - was closed in April 1992; both have since been dismantled. Virtually the last remnant of the industry in the area is ISG Riverdale (formerly the Acme Steel Co.), which began a shutdown in 2001 before being sold and restructured as a smaller company.[15] The most significant remaining industrial presence in the district is now the Ford Motor Company, which operates the Chicago Assembly plant (where the Ford Explorer is manufactured) on the border between South Deering and Hegewisch, as well as the Chicago Stamping facility in Chicago Heights. Like the 1st District, the area is struggling to overcome economic downturns in recent decades.
Local educational institutions include Governors State University in University Park, Chicago State University in Roseland, Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, South Suburban College in South Holland and Olive-Harvey College, a Chicago city college, in Pullman. The University of Chicago is directly west of the district's northern end. Hospitals in the district include Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, St. James Hospitals in Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields, Advocate Trinity Hospital in Calumet Heights, La Rabida Children's Hospital in Woodlawn, South Shore Hospital in South Chicago and Roseland Community Hospital in Roseland.
The Museum of Science and Industry is located almost at the district's northern tip. Various areas of the Cook County Forest Preserves are scattered throughout the suburban part of the district, particularly in the area northeast of Chicago Heights. Other notable business and industrial presences in the district include Jays Foods, a manufacturer of snack foods based in Pullman; the Norfolk Southern Railway; Allied Tube and Conduit, a piping and electrical manufacturer in Harvey https://web.archive.org/web/20070731145713/http://www.alliedtube.com/tyco-international.asp; and UGN Inc., an automotive soundproofing manufacturer in Chicago Heights https://archive.today/20070526140025/http://www.ugnusa.com/2chicago.htm.
Federal facilities in the district include Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor http://www.uscg.mil/d9/grumil/STACalumetHarbor.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070812020926/http://www.calharbordivision.org/ in East Side and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Army Reserve Center, home of the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade, in Homewood.
In addition to the Jackson Park Historic Landscape District and the Museum of Science and Industry's, district locations on the National Register of Historic Places include:
This table indicates how the district has voted in U.S. presidential elections; election results reflect voting in the district as it was configured at the time of the election, not as it is configured today.
| Year | Office | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | align=right | Al Gore 81% - George W. Bush 17% | |
| 2004 | President | align=right | John Kerry 84% - George W. Bush 16% | |
| 2008 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 90% - John McCain 10% | |
| 2012 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 80% - Mitt Romney 18% | |
| 2016 | President | align=right | Hillary Clinton 78% - Donald Trump 19% | |
| 2020 | President | align=right | Joe Biden 77% - Donald Trump 21% |
This table indicates how the district has voted in recent statewide elections; election results reflect voting in the district as it is currently configured, not necessarily as it was at the time of these elections.
| Year | Office | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | President | Hillary Clinton 69.1% – Donald Trump 26.8% |
| Senate | Tammy Duckworth 69.0% – Mark Kirk 26.5% | |
| 2018 | Governor | J. B. Pritzker 69.1% – Bruce Rauner 25.7% |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 68.6% – Erika Harold 29.5% | |
| Secretary of State | Jesse White 78.7% – Jason Helland 19.3% | |
| 2020 | President | Joe Biden 69.3% – Donald Trump 29.3% |
| Senate | Dick Durbin 62.6% – Mark Curran 26.0% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Tammy Duckworth 68.1% – Kathy Salvi 30.5% |
| Governor | J. B. Pritzker 65.9% – Darren Bailey 32.0% | |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 66.3% – Tom DeVore 31.9% | |
| Secretary of State | Alexi Giannoulias 66.1% – Dan Brady 32.0% |
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1833 | ||||||||
| align=left rowspan=3 | Zadok Casey | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 | Elected in 1832. Re-elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Lost re-election. | 1833–1843 | ||
| Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841 | ||||||
| Independent Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | ||||||
| align=left | John A. McClernand | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851 | Elected in 1842. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. Retired. | 1843–1853 | ||
| align=left | Willis Allen | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1850. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | John Wentworth | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Elected in 1852. | 1853–1863 | ||
| align=left | James H. Woodworth | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | Elected in 1854. Retired. | |||
| align=left | John F. Farnsworth | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 | Elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Isaac N. Arnold | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1860. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | John F. Farnsworth | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Lost renomination. | 1863–1873 | ||
| align=left | Jasper D. Ward | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1872. Lost re-election. | 1873–1883 | ||
| align=left | Carter H. Harrison | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 | Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Retired. | |||
| align=left | George R. Davis | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | John F. Finerty | Independent Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | Elected in 1882. | 1883–1895 | ||
| align=left | Frank Lawler | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891 | Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. | |||
| align=left | Lawrence E. McGann | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895 | Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | William Lorimer | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Lost re-election. | 1895–1903 | ||
| align=left | John J. Feely | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1900. Retired. | |||
| align=left | James Robert Mann | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – November 30, 1922 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Died. | 1903–1949 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 30, 1922 – April 3, 1923 | ||||||
| align=left | Morton D. Hull | Republican | nowrap | April 3, 1923 – March 3, 1933 | Elected to finish Mann's term. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Retired. | |||
| align=left | P. H. Moynihan | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | Elected in 1932. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Raymond S. McKeough | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1943 | Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Retired. | |||
| align=left | William A. Rowan | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947 | Elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Richard B. Vail | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | Elected in 1946. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Barratt O'Hara | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | Elected in 1948. Lost re-election. | 1949–1963 | ||
| align=left | Richard B. Vail | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 | Elected in 1950. Lost re-election. | |||
Barratt O'Hara | Democratic | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1969 | Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Lost renomination. | |||||
| 1963–1967 | ||||||||
| 1967–1973 | ||||||||
| align=left | Abner Mikva | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 | Elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Morgan F. Murphy | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1981 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Retired. | 1973–1983 | ||
Gus Savage | Democratic | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993 | Elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost renomination. | |||||
| 1983–1993 | ||||||||
| align=left | Mel Reynolds | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – October 1, 1995 | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Resigned. | 1993–2003 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 1, 1995 – December 12, 1995 | ||||||
Jesse Jackson Jr. | Democratic | December 12, 1995 – November 21, 2012 | Elected to finish Reynolds's term. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1996. 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 but resigned. | |||||
| 2003–2013 | ||||||||
| Vacant | November 21, 2012 – April 9, 2013 | |||||||
| 2013–2023 | ||||||||
Robin Kelly | Democratic | April 9, 2013– present | Elected to finish Jackson's term. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | |||||
| 2023–present | ||||||||
See main article: 2013 Illinois's 2nd congressional district special election.
This table indicates how the 2nd District has voted in U.S. presidential elections; election results reflect voting in the district as it was configured at the time of the election, not as it is configured today. The candidate who received the most votes in the district is listed first; the candidate who won the election nationally is in CAPS, and the candidate who won the state of Illinois is indicated with a †.
| Election | District winner | Runner-up | Other candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1852[16] | PIERCE† (D), 8,021 (49%) | Scott (W), 5,882 (36%) | Hale (Free Soil), 2,500 (15%) | ||
| 1856 | Frémont (R), 21,556 (67%) | BUCHANAN† (D), 9,843 (30%) | Fillmore (American), 966 (3%) | ||
| 1860 | LINCOLN† (R), 30,856 (64%) | Douglas (D), 16,993 (35%) | Bell (Constitutional Union), 192 (0.4%); Breckinridge (D), 128 (0.3%) | ||
| 1864 | LINCOLN† (R), 18,305 (78%) | McClellan (D), 5,231 (22%) | |||
| 1868 | GRANT† (R), 20,946 (77%) | Seymour (D), 6,270 (23%) | |||
| 1952[17] | Stevenson (D), 94,905 (51%) | EISENHOWER† (R), 91,522 (49%) | |||
| 1956 | Stevenson (D), 81,570 (50%) | EISENHOWER† (R), 81,296 (50%) | |||
| 1968[18] | Humphrey (D), 103,924 (59%) | NIXON† (R), 52,311 (30%) | Wallace (AIP), 18,896 (11%) | ||
| 1972[19] | McGovern (D), 116,534 (66%) | NIXON† (R), 60,220 (34%) | |||
| 1976[20] | CARTER (D), 137,384 (83%) | Ford† (R), 28,498 (17%) | |||
| 1980[21] | Carter (D), 145,205 (84%) | REAGAN† (R), 20,946 (12%) | Anderson (Indep.), 3,612 (2%) | ||
| 1984[22] | Mondale (D), 168,174 (84%) | REAGAN† (R), 32,693 (16%) | |||
| 1988[23] | Dukakis (D), 150,387 (84%) | BUSH† (R), 25,896 (15%) | |||
| 1992[24] | CLINTON† (D), 194,639 (80%) | Bush (R), 31,634 (13%) | Perot (Indep.), 16,950 (7%) | ||
| 1996[25] | CLINTON† (D), 170,819 (85%) | Dole (R), 22,204 (11%) | Perot (Reform), 6,395 (3%) | ||
| 2000[26] | Gore† (D), 188,289 (89%) | BUSH (R), 21,838 (10%) | Nader (Green), 1,626 (1%) | ||
| 2004[27] | Kerry† (D), 230,613 (84%) | BUSH (R), 43,822 (16%) | |||
| 2008[28] | OBAMA† (D), 260,869 (90%) | McCain (R), 28,676 (10%) | |||
| 2012[29] | OBAMA† (D), (81%) | Romney (R), (19%) | |||