| State: | Illinois |
| District Number: | 7 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 |
| Representative: | Danny Davis |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Residence: | Chicago |
| English Area: | 69.3 |
| Percent Urban: | 100.0 |
| Percent Rural: | 0.0 |
| Population: | 758,917 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $76,365[1] |
| Percent White: | 29.5 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 15.7 |
| Percent Black: | 42.8 |
| Percent Asian: | 8.6 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 2.5 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.5 |
| Cpvi: | D+36[2] |
The 7th congressional district of Illinois covers parts of Cook County, as of the 2023 redistricting that followed the 2020 census. All or parts of Broadview, Bellwood, Chicago, Forest Park, Hillside, Oak Park, La Grange Park, Maywood, and Westchester are included. Democrat Danny K. Davis has represented the district since January 1997. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+36, it is the most Democratic district in Illinois.[2]
Due to reapportionment every ten years, the 7th district like other districts has relocated in Illinois throughout its history. In the mid-1800s, Abraham Lincoln represented the 7th district before being elected president, although his home now lies within Illinois's 13th congressional district and most of his district's former territory is now located in the 15th district.
In 1846, the 7th district was the only one in Illinois (among seven at the time) with a comfortably safe majority for the Whig Party.
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 16% | |
| 2004 | President | align=right | John Kerry 83% - George W. Bush 17% | |
| 2008 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 89% - John McCain 9% | |
| 2012 | President | align=right | Barack Obama 87% - Mitt Romney 11% | |
| 2016 | President | align=right | Hillary Clinton 87% - Donald Trump 9% | |
| 2020 | President | align=right | Joe Biden 86% - Donald Trump 12% |
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 85.8% – Donald Trump 9.8% |
| Senate | Tammy Duckworth 81.4% – Mark Kirk 14.7% | |
| 2018 | Governor | J. B. Pritzker 82.7% – Bruce Rauner 14.2% |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 82.8% – Erika Harold 15.3% | |
| Secretary of State | Jesse White 89.1% – Jason Helland 8.6% | |
| 2020 | President | Joe Biden 85.6% – Donald Trump 12.8% |
| Senate | Dick Durbin 74.7% – Mark Curran 12.2% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Tammy Duckworth 86.0% – Kathy Salvi 12.6% |
| Governor | J. B. Pritzker 85.2% – Darren Bailey 12.7% | |
| Attorney General | Kwame Raoul 84.4% – Tom DeVore 13.7% | |
| Secretary of State | Alexi Giannoulias 84.5% – Dan Brady 13.5% |
The 7th district takes in the Chicago neighborhoods of the Loop, Armour Square, Fuller Park, Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, and West Englewood; most of Near South and Austin; half of Humboldt Park and Englewood; the coastal portion of Near North; part of West Town, Douglas, Grand Boulevard, and Chicago Lawn.
Outside the Chicago city limits, the 7th district takes in the Cook County communities of Oak Park, Westchester, Broadview, Bellwood, Maywood, and Forest Park; most of Hillside; and part of La Grange Park.
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1843 | |||||||
| align=left | John J. Hardin | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Elected in 1842. | ||
| align=left | Edward D. Baker | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1845 – January 15, 1847 | Elected in 1844. Resigned early to join the Illinois Volunteer Infantry. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 15, 1847 – February 5, 1847 | |||||
| align=left | John Henry | Whig | nowrap | February 5, 1847 – March 3, 1847 | Elected to finish Baker's term. Was not a candidate for the next term. | ||
| align=left | Abraham Lincoln | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 | Elected in 1846. Retired, having pledged to serve only one term. | ||
| align=left | Thomas L. Harris | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | Elected in 1848. | ||
| align=left | Richard Yates | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1850. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | James C. Allen | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – July 18, 1856 | Elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. Disqualified. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 18, 1856 – November 4, 1856 | |||||
| align=left | James C. Allen | Democratic | nowrap | November 4, 1856 – March 3, 1857 | Re-elected to finish his own term. | ||
| align=left | Aaron Shaw | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859 | Elected in 1856. | ||
| align=left | James C. Robinson | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1858 Re-elected in 1860. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | John R. Eden | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 | Elected in 1862. | ||
| align=left | Henry P. H. Bromwell | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869 | Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. | ||
| align=left | Jesse H. Moore | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. | ||
| align=left | Franklin Corwin | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1872. | ||
| align=left | Alexander Campbell | Independent | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | Elected in 1874. | ||
| align=left | Philip C. Hayes | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 | Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. | ||
| align=left | William Cullen | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1880. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | Thomas J. Henderson | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. | ||
| align=left | George E. Foss | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | Philip Knopf | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909 | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. | ||
| align=left | Frederick Lundin | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911 | Elected in 1908. | ||
| align=left | Frank Buchanan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917 | Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Lost re-election. | ||
| align=left | Niels Juul | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1921 | Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Lost renomination. | ||
| align=left | M. Alfred Michaelson | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1931 | Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Lost renomination. | ||
| align=left | Leonard W. Schuetz | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1931 – February 13, 1944 | Elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | February 13, 1944 – January 3, 1945 | |||||
| align=left | William W. Link | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | Elected in 1944. Lost re-election. | ||
| align=left | Thomas L. Owens | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1947 – June 7, 1948 | Elected in 1946. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | June 7, 1948 – January 3, 1949 | |||||
| align=left | Adolph J. Sabath | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1949 – November 6, 1952 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | November 6, 1952 – July 7, 1953 | |||||
| align=left | James Bowler | Democratic | nowrap | July 7, 1953 – July 18, 1957 | Elected to finish Sabath's term. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 18, 1957 – December 31, 1957 | |||||
| align=left | Roland V. Libonati | Democratic | nowrap | December 31, 1957 – January 3, 1965 | Elected to finish Bowler's term. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. | ||
| align=left | Frank Annunzio | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1973 | Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Redistricted to the . | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – June 5, 1973 | George W. Collins redistricted from the and re-elected in 1972, but died on December 8, 1972. | ||||
| align=left | Cardiss Collins | Democratic | nowrap | June 5, 1973 – January 3, 1997 | Elected to finish her husband's term. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Retired. | ||
Danny K. Davis | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – present | 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. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | ||||
| 2003–2013 | |||||||
| 2013–2023 | |||||||
| 2023–present | |||||||