Redistricting Is What It Is

“We are disappointed with the court’s ruling today, especially considering the very serious issues we raised in our challenge to the Democrats’ map, including discrimination against the state’s growing Latino population.  We are in the process of reviewing the decision and evaluating our options for future action. 

 

“Regardless of today’s decision, we continue to believe that fairness should be the driving principle in the redistricting process.  A balanced congressional map is necessary to ensure that the people of Illinois have an opportunity to express their will at the ballot box and elect those representatives who best reflect their shared interests. 

Unfortunately, the Democrats who control state government decided instead to maximize their partisan advantage in the map-making process to serve their own interests.  That kind of selfish approach to governing should never be tolerated.”

Rep. Judy Biggert (Il-13)                                   Rep. Peter Roskam (Il-6)

Rep. Robert Dold (Il-10)                                   Rep. Bobby Schilling (Il-17)

Rep. Randy Hultgren (Il-14)                              Rep. Aaron Schock (Il-18)

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Il-11)                              Rep. John Shimkus (Il-19)

Rep. Don Manzullo (Il-16)                                 Rep. Joe Walsh (Il-8)

According to news reports, the Federal court agreed with the GOP complaint that the map was a blatant political move to increase the number of Democratic congressional seats .Still the court concluded the Republican challenge failed to present “a workable standard by which to evaluate such claims.

Also rejected by the Court were arguments that the new map sought to dilute the voting strength of a growing Latino population by packing Lationos into an earmuff shaped congressional shaped district that is currently the home district of Luis Gutierrez of Chicago.

It was the Court’s opinion that The Republicans failed to prove “by a preponderance of the evidence that the state legislature intentionally discriminated against Latinos in passing” the map.

The court agreed with the GOP complaint that the map “was a blatant political move to increase the number of Democratic congressional seats,” according to the decision by U.S. District Court Judges Joan Lefkow of the Northern District of Illinois, Robert Miller of the Northern District of Indiana and Daniel Tinder of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Still, the court concluded the Republican challenge failed to present “a workable standard by which to evaluate such claims.”

The court also rejected Republican arguments that the new map sought to dilute the voting strength of a growing Latino population by packing Latinos into an earmuff-shaped congressional district that is currently home to U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago.

The court said Republicans failed to prove “by a preponderance of the evidence that the state legislature intentionally discriminated against Latinos in passing” the map."