New Congressional Map Shifts Most of Bolingbrook to the 11th District

Republican leaders are vowing to fight a new Congressional map they say favors Democrats.

On Friday, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law a redrawn map of state Congressional district boundaries that places most of Bolingbrook in the 11th Illinois U.S. Congressional District—a district currently held by Republican Adam Kinzinger. Under the new map, Kinzinger resides in the new 2nd Congressional District, long represented by Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr.

Previously, Bolingbrook was part of the 13th Congressional District under Republican Rep. Judy Biggert.

A small portion of Bolingbrook would be part of the 14th District—a district currently represented by Republican Randy Hultgren. 

In a joint statement, Republican U.S. legislators from Illinois districts pledged to challenge the new map in court, and lambasted Quinn for signing a “flawed map” into law. Leading the charge is former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Oswego.

“Governor Quinn said that a fair redistricting process required hearings. Yet the map was unveiled on a Friday and passed the following Monday, with no hearings,” Republican legislators said in the statement. “Governor Quinn said that the way in which district lines are drawn contributes to the success of our democracy. Yet the map he approved seeks to reverse the results of a democratic election. Governor Quinn advocated for a fair and open process. Instead, he has guaranteed an unfair and closed one.”

Quinn did not hold a public press conference regarding the bill signing.

“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," Quinn said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The 13th District moves to an entirely different part of the state to include Champaign and Bloomington, and then stretches southwest to St. Louis.