| State: | Illinois |
| District Number: | 4 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Chuy García |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Chicago |
| English Area: | 97.0 |
| Percent Urban: | 100.0 |
| Percent Rural: | 0.0 |
| Population: | 718,854 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $69,123[1] |
| Percent White: | 23.4 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 66.5 |
| Percent Black: | 4.5 |
| Percent Asian: | 3.9 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 1.3 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.4 |
| Cpvi: | D+22[2] |
The 4th congressional district of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Jesús "Chuy" García since January 2019.
In November 2017, incumbent Luis Gutiérrez announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in 2018.[3] [4] Jesús "Chuy" García was elected on November 6, 2018.
The previous version of the district from 2013–2023 was featured by The Economist as one of the most strangely drawn and gerrymandered congressional districts in the country,[5] inspired the "Ugly Gerry" gerrymandering typeface,[6] and has been nicknamed "earmuffs" due to its shape.[7] That version of the district was created after federal courts ordered the creation of a majority-Hispanic district in the Chicago area. The Illinois General Assembly responded by packing two majority Hispanic parts of Chicago into a single district.
The 2013–2023 version of the district formerly covered two strips running east–west across the city of Chicago, on the west side continuing into smaller portions of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois's 7th congressional district. The northern portion is largely Puerto Rican, while the southern portion is heavily Mexican-American. These two sections were only connected by a piece of Interstate 294 to the west; the highway is in the district while the surrounding areas are not. This version of the district was the smallest congressional district in area outside New York City and California.[8]
The Illinois 4th congressional district was originally formed in 1842. It included 17 counties, which were Cook, Lake, McHenry, Boone, De Kalb, Kane, Du Page, Will, Kendall, Grundy, LaSalle, Bureau, Livingston, Iroquois, McLean, Vermilion and Champaign Counties. Beyond this Ford and Kankakee Counties were part of Vermillion and Iroquois Counties respectively at this point and thus in the district's boundaries.[9]
In the redistricting following the 1990 United States census, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Governor Jim Edgar both wanted a Latino district, as Latinos were the fastest growing demographic group in the state at the time. In June 1991, Congressman Dennis Hastert, a suburban Republican, filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the existing congressional map was unconstitutional;[10] the present congressional district boundaries emerged as a result of that lawsuit. A three-judge panel of the federal district court adopted the map proposed by Hastert and other Republican members of the Illinois Congressional delegation.[11] Subsequent lawsuits challenging the redistricting as racially biased[12] did not succeed in redrawing the district boundaries. The district, as it was in 2009, was in some places less than 50 yards (metres) wide and parts covered no more than one city block.[13]
The 4th district includes the Chicago community of Brighton Park, in addition to almost all of Hermosa, Lower West Side and Gage Park; parts of Albany Park, Irving Park, Avondale, Logan Square, West Town, Humboldt Park, Belmont Cragin, Austin, McKinley Park, South Lawndale, New City, West Elsdon and Archer Heights; portions of riverfront Bridgeport; the portion of North Center southwest of Clybourn Avenue; and the northwestern tip of Lincoln Park.Since the 2011 redistricting, the district also includes portions of Berwyn, Brookfield, Cicero, Lyons, Melrose Park, Riverside, River Forest, and Elmwood Park.[14]
| County | Seat | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Cook | Chicago | 5,173,146 | |
| 43 | DuPage | Wheaton | 924,885 |
The 4th district takes in the Chicago neighborhoods of Brighton Park, West Elsdon, and South Lawndale; most of New City, Pilsen, and Chicago Lawn; the part of Clearing east of S Austin Ave and W Austin Ave; eastern Garfield Ridge; and half of Bridgeport west of S Halsted St.
Outside the Chicago city limits, this district takes in the Cook County communities of Burbank, Berwyn, Cicero, Brookfield, LaGrange Park, Northlake, and Melrose Park; most of Berkeley; and the portion of Franklin Park south of Franklin Ave.
DuPage County is split between this district and the 6th district. They are partitioned by Illinois Highway 64, York St, Euclid Ave, Illinois Highway 38, Illinois Highway 83, West 22nd St, Kingston Dr, Regent Drive, 31st St, Kingey Highway, East Ogden Ave, Naperville Rd, Middaugh Rd, West Chicago Ave, North Prospect Ave, Walker Ave, 55th St, and 59th St.The 4th district takes in the municipalities of Hinsdale; part of Elmhurst; and part of Oak Brook.
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 76% - George W. Bush 19% | |
| 2004 | President | align=right | John Kerry 79% - George W. Bush 21% | |
| 2008 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 81% - John McCain 18% | |
| 2012 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 81% - Mitt Romney 17% | |
| 2016 | President | align=right | Hillary Clinton 82% - Donald Trump 13% | |
| 2020 | President | align=right | Joe Biden 81% - Donald Trump 17% |
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 72.4% – Donald Trump 21.7% |
| Senate | Tammy Duckworth 68.7% – Mark Kirk 24.9% | |
| 2018 | Governor | J. B. Pritzker 70.5% – Bruce Rauner 25.2% |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 69.3% – Erika Harold 27.9% | |
| Secretary of State | Jesse White 81.3% – Jason Helland 15.7% | |
| 2020 | President | Joe Biden 72.3% – Donald Trump 25.9% |
| Senate | Dick Durbin 69.4% – Mark Curran 21.9% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Tammy Duckworth 70.0% – Kathy Salvi 28.2% |
| Governor | J. B. Pritzker 68.5% – Darren Bailey 28.7% | |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 68.0% – Tom DeVore 29.3% | |
| Secretary of State | Alexi Giannoulias 68.9% – Dan Brady 28.7% |
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Notes | District location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1843 | |||||||
| align=left | John Wentworth | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851 | Elected in 1842. Re-elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. | ||
| align=left | Richard S. Molony | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1850. | ||
| align=left rowspan=2 | James Knox | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. | ||
| Opposition | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | |||||
| align=left | William Kellogg | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. | ||
| align=left | Charles M. Harris | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 | Elected in 1862. | ||
| align=left | Abner C. Harding | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869 | Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. | ||
| align=left | John B. Hawley | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | Stephen A. Hurlbut | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877 | Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. | ||
| align=left | William Lathrop | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 | Elected in 1876. | ||
| align=left | John C. Sherwin | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. | ||
| align=left | George E. Adams | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891 | Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. | ||
| align=left | Walter C. Newberry | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1890. | ||
| align=left | Julius Goldzier | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 | Elected in 1892. | ||
| align=left | Charles W. Woodman | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 | Elected in 1894. | ||
| align=left | Daniel W. Mills | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 | Elected in 1896. | ||
| align=left | Thomas Cusack | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 | Elected in 1898. | ||
| align=left | James McAndrews | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1900. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | George P. Foster | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1902. | ||
| align=left | Charles S. Wharton | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1907 | Elected in 1904. | ||
| align=left | James T. McDermott | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1907 – July 21, 1914 | Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Resigned. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 21, 1914 – March 3, 1915 | |||||
| align=left | James T. McDermott | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917 | Re-elected in 1914 to fill his own seat. Retired. | ||
| align=left | Charles Martin | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1917 – October 28, 1917 | Elected in 1916. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 28, 1917 – April 2, 1918 | |||||
| align=left | John W. Rainey | Democratic | nowrap | April 2, 1918 – May 4, 1923 | Elected to finish Martin's term. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | May 4, 1923 – November 6, 1923 | |||||
| align=left | Thomas A. Doyle | Democratic | nowrap | November 6, 1923 – March 3, 1931 | Elected to finish Rainey's term. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. | ||
| align=left | Harry P. Beam | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1931 – December 6, 1942 | Elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Resigned after being elected judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 6, 1942 – January 3, 1943 | |||||
| align=left | Martin Gorski | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949 | Elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | James V. Buckley | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | Elected in 1948. | ||
| align=left | William E. McVey | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1951 – August 10, 1958 | Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 10, 1958 – January 3, 1959 | |||||
| align=left | Ed Derwinski | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. | ||
| align=left | George M. O'Brien | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1983 – July 17, 1986 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 17, 1986 – January 3, 1987 | |||||
| align=left | Jack Davis | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1989 | Elected in 1986. | ||
| align=left | George E. Sangmeister | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993 | Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the . | ||
Luis Gutiérrez | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2019 | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. 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. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired. | ||||
| 2003–2013 | |||||||
| 2013–2023 | |||||||
Jesús "Chuy" García | Democratic | January 3, 2019 – present | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | ||||
| 2023–present | |||||||