The 17th congressional district of Illinois is represented by Democrat Eric Sorensen. It includes most of the northwestern portion of the state, with most of its population living on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, as well as parts of Peoria and Rockford.
The 17th congressional district has shifted northward after redistricting in 2012. It subsequently lost Quincy and Decatur, as well as its share of Springfield. It was generally thought that the redrawn map would allow the district to revert to the Democrats, who held it without interruption from 1983 to 2011. As expected, incumbent Representative Bobby Schilling was defeated, after serving only one term, by Democratic opponent Cheri Bustos in the 2012 election cycle, who served until 2023.
The boundaries were drawn in a bipartisan deal to protect both Democratic incumbent Lane Evans and neighboring Republican incumbents. The lines of the district were drawn to move Republican voters into neighboring districts and to include Democratic neighborhoods in Springfield and Decatur. Evans retired in 2006 as a result of declining health, and the seat was won by his longtime aide Phil Hare. Although the district had been designed to elect a Democrat, Hare lost in 2010 to Republican pizzeria owner Bobby Schilling. In 2012, Democrat Cheri Bustos won the district election.
History 2011 redistricting The district covers parts of Peoria, Tazewell and Winnebago counties, and all of Carroll, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, Mercer, Rock Island, Stephenson, Warren and Whiteside counties, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galesburg, Kewanee, Moline, Peoria, Rock Island, Rockford, Pekin and Sterling are included.Illinois Congressional District 17 , Illinois Board of Elections The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 5, 2013.
2001 redistricting From 2003 to 2013 the district was known as "the rabbit on a skateboard" for its unusual shape devised as the outcome of gerrymandering.
Representation From 1982 to 2011, the district's representatives hailed from Rock Island, these being Lane Evans and Phil Hare. Since 2013, the district's representatives have hailed from neighboring Moline, and include Cheri Bustos and Eric Sorenson.
In early 2021, Cheri Bustos announced her intention to retire at the end of the 117th Congress. In November 2021, former WREX and WQAD meteorologist Eric Sorenson announced his candidacy for the seat. He later won the election with 52% of the vote.
Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST17/CD119_IL17.pdf
Carroll County (19)
All 19 townships and municipalities
Fulton County (29)
Avon, Banner, Banner Township, Bryant, Buckheart Township, Canton, Canton Township, Cass Township, Cuba, Deerfield Township, Dunfermline, Ellisville, Ellisville Township, Fairview, Fairview Township, Farmington (part, shared with Peoria County), Farmington Township, Harris Township, Joshua Township, Lee Township, London Mils (part, shared with Knox County), Marietta, Norris, Orion Township, Putnam Township, Smithfield, St. David, Union Township, Young Hickory Township
Henry County (8)
Cleveland, Colona, Colona Township (part, also 16th), Galva, Galva Township, Kewanee, Kewanee Township, Wethersfield Township
Knox County (36)
All 36 townships and municipalities
McDonough County (6)
Bardolph, Emmet Township (part, also 15th), Macomb (part, also 15th), Macomb Township, Mound Township (part, also 15th), Scotland Township (part, also 15th)
McLean County (10)
Allin Township (part, also 16th), Bloomington (part, also 16th), Bloomington Township (part, also 16th), Dale Township (part, also 16th; includes Shirley), Dry Grove Township (part, also 16th), Funks Grove Township, McLean, Mount Hope Township, Normal (part, also 16th), Normal Township (part, also 16th)
Mercer County (12)
Alexis (part, shared with Warren County), Greene Township, Matherville, North Henderson, North Henderson Township, Preemption Township, Richland Grove Township, Rivoli Township, Sherrard, Suez Township, Viola, Windsor
Peoria County (21)
Bartonville, Bellevue (part, also 16th), Elmwood, Elmwood Township, Glasford, Hanna City, Hollis Township, Kingston Mines, Limestone Township (part, also 16th), Logan Township, Mapleton, Norwood (part, also 16th), Pekin (part, also 16th; shared with Tazewell County), Peoria (part, also 16th), Peoria Heights, Richwoods Township, Rosefield Township (part, also 16th), Timber Township, Trivoli Township, West Peoria, West Peoria Township (part, also 16th) Rock Island County (33) All 33 townships and municipalities
Stephenson County (16)
Cedarville (part, also 16th), Erin Township, Florence Township, Freeport, Freeport Township, German Valley, Harlem Township, Jefferson Township, Kent Township, Lancaster Township, Lena (part, also 16th), Loran Township, Pearl City, Ridott, Ridott Township, Silver Creek Township
Tazewell County (15)
Armington, Boynton Township, Cincinnati Township (part, also 16th), Delavan, Delavan Township, Dillon Township, Green Valley, Hittle Township, Hopedale Township (part, also 16th), Little Mackinaw Township (part, also 16th), Malone Township, Sand Prairie Township, Spring Lake Township, Pekin (part, also 16th; shared with Peoria County), South Pekin (part, also 16th)
Warren County (6)
Alexis (part, shared with Mercer County), Coldbrook Township, Kelly Township, Monmouth, Monmouth Township, Spring Grove Township Whiteside County (33) All 33 townships and municipalities
Winnebago County (5)
Cherry Valley Township (part, also 16th), Loves Park (part, also 16th), Rockford (part, also 16th; shared with Ogle County), Rockford Township (part, also 16th), Seward Township
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 60% - 38%2012 PresidentObama 59% - 41%2016 PresidentClinton 50% - 43% SenateDuckworth 50% - 44% Comptroller (Spec.)Mendoza 48% - 47%2018 GovernorPritzker 50% - 41% Attorney GeneralRaoul 50% - 47% Secretary of StateWhite 64% - 33% ComptrollerMendoza 55% - 41% TreasurerFrerichs 54% - 42%2020 PresidentBiden 53% - 45% SenateDurbin 53% - 43%2022 SenateDuckworth 52% - 45% GovernorPritzker 50% - 47% Attorney GeneralDeVore 49% - 48% Secretary of StateBrady 51% - 47% ComptrollerMendoza 52% - 46% TreasurerFrerichs 49% - 48%2024 PresidentHarris 51% - 46%
List of members representing the district Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District created March 4, 1873 William R. Morrison Democratic March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1883 Elected in 1872.Re-elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Redistricted to the . Samuel W. Moulton Democratic March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1885 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1882.Retired. John R. Eden Democratic March 4, 1885 –March 3, 1887 Elected in 1884.Lost re-election. Edward Lane Democratic March 4, 1887 –March 3, 1895 Elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Re-elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Redistricted to the 18th district and lost re-election there. James A. Connolly Republican March 4, 1895 –March 3, 1899 Elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Retired. Ben F. Caldwell Democratic March 4, 1899 –March 3, 1903 Elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Redistricted to the 21st district. John A. Sterling Republican March 4, 1903 –March 3, 1913 Elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Lost re-election. Louis FitzHenry Democratic March 4, 1913 –March 3, 1915 Elected in 1912.Lost re-election. John A. Sterling Republican March 4, 1915 –October 17, 1918 Elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Died. Vacant October 17, 1918 –March 3, 1919 Frank L. Smith Republican March 4, 1919 –March 3, 1921 Elected in 1918.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. Frank H. Funk Republican March 4, 1921 –March 3, 1927 Elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Lost renomination.Homer W. Hall Republican March 4, 1927 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Lost re-election. Frank Gillespie Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Elected in 1932.Lost re-election. Leslie C. Arends Republican January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1973 Elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-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.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Redistricted to the 15th district. George M. O'Brien Republican January 3, 1973 –January 3, 1983 Elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Redistricted to the . Lane Evans Democratic January 3, 1983 –January 3, 2007 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.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Retired. 1983–1993 1993–2003 2003–2013 Phil Hare Democratic January 3, 2007 –January 3, 2011 Elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Lost re-election. Bobby Schilling Republican January 3, 2011 –January 3, 2013 Elected in 2010.Lost re-election. Cheri Bustos Democratic January 3, 2013 –January 3, 2023 Elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Retired. 2013–2023Eric Sorensen Democratic January 3, 2023 –present Elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024. 2023–present
Election results 1982
1984
1986
1988
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1994
1996
1998
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2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
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2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
See also Illinois's congressional districts List of United States congressional districts Gerrymandering
Notes
References
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
External links Washington Post page on the 17th District of Illinois U.S. Census Bureau - 17th District Fact Sheet