Illinois's 15th congressional district

The 15th congressional district of Illinois is located in eastern and southeastern Illinois. It is currently represented by Republican John Shimkus. On August 30, 2019, Shimkus announced that he would not seek re-election in 2020.

Illinois's 15th congressional district
Illinois's 15th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Representative	John Shimkus R–Collinsville
Area	14,696 sq mi (38,060 km^2)
Distribution	51.4% rural 48.6% urban
Population (2011 est.)	715,066
Median income	$52,527[1]
Ethnicity	93.6% white 4.6% black 2.4% Hispanic 1.6% Two or more races 0.5% Asian 0.5% other 0.2% Native American 0.0% Pacific Islands Americans
Cook PVI	R+21[2][3]

The district has a Cook PVI rating of R+21, making it the most Republican district in Illinois and one of the most Republican in the Midwest. In most of the district, there are no elected Democrats above the county level, and Donald Trump carried over 70% of the district's vote in his 2016 presidential bid.

2011 redistricting

The congressional district covers parts of Bond, Champaign, Ford and Madison counties, and all of Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Massac, Moultrie, Pope, Richland, Saline, Shelby, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne and White counties. All or parts of Centralia, Charleston, Danville, Edwardsville, Effingham, Glen Carbon, Mattoon and Rantoul will be included.[4] The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 5, 2013.

2012 election

Republican John Shimkus, previously representing the 19th district,[5] was on the 2012 ballot for the 15th congressional district.[6] Angela Michael, a retired nurse and pro-life activist,[7] ran on a single-issue pro-life Democratic ticket.[8]

2016 election

Shimkus faced no opposition in the general election, after facing a challenge in the Republican primary from Illinois State Senator Kyle McCarter, who Tea Party backing and funding from the Club for Growth.[9][10]

2018 election

Shimkus continues to loom large in the 15th, but finally faces credible (if not well-funded) Democratic opposition from a local teacher and former Obama campaign worker.[11]

History of district boundaries

1873–2003

[data unknown/missing]

2003 – 2013

The district included the cities of Charleston, Urbana, Danville, and Champaign, and all or parts of Livingston, Iroquois, Ford, McLean, DeWitt, Champaign, Vermillion, Macon, Piatt, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie, Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Crawford, Lawrence, Wabash, Edwards, White, Saline, and Gallatin counties.

List of representatives

District created March 4, 1873

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
John R. Eden	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879	43rd 44th 45th	[data unknown/missing]
Albert P. Forsythe	Greenback	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881	46th	[data unknown/missing]
Samuel W. Moulton	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883	47th	Redistricted to the 17th district
Joseph G. Cannon	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891	48th 49th 50th 51st	Redistricted from the 14th district
Samuel T. Busey	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	Lost re-election
Joseph G. Cannon	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895	53rd	Redistricted to the 12th district
Benjamin F. Marsh	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901	54th 55th 56th	Redistricted from the 11th district
J. Ross Mickey	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	[data unknown/missing]
George W. Prince	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913	58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd	Redistricted from the 10th district
Stephen A. Hoxworth	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915	63rd	[data unknown/missing]
Edward J. King	Republican	March 4, 1915 – February 17, 1929	64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th	Died
Vacant		February 17, 1929 – November 4, 1930
Burnett M. Chiperfield	Republican	November 4, 1930 – March 3, 1933	71st 72nd	[data unknown/missing]
J. Leroy Adair	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937	73rd 74th	[data unknown/missing]
Lewis L. Boyer	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939	75th	Lost re-election
Robert B. Chiperfield	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1949	76th 77th 78th 79th 80th	Redistricted to the 19th district
Noah M. Mason	Republican	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1963	81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th	Redistricted from the 12th district
Charlotte T. Reid	Republican	January 3, 1963 – October 7, 1971	88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd	Resigned to become member of the Federal Communications Commission
Vacant		October 7, 1971 – April 4, 1972
Cliffard D. Carlson	Republican	April 4, 1972 – January 3, 1973	92nd	Elected in 1972 Retired
Leslie C. Arends	Republican	January 3, 1973 – December 31, 1974	93rd	Redistricted from the 17th district Resigned
Tim Lee Hall	Democratic	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1977	94th	Elected in 1974 Lost re-election
Tom Corcoran	Republican	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1983	95th 96th 97th	Redistricted to the 14th district
Edward R. Madigan	Republican	January 3, 1983 – March 8, 1991	98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Redistricted from the 21st district Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Vacant		March 8, 1991 – July 2, 1991
Thomas W. Ewing	Republican	July 2, 1991 – January 3, 2001	102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th	Elected to finish Madigan's term. Retired.
Timothy V. Johnson	Republican	January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013	107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th	First elected in 2000 Re-elected in 2002 Re-elected in 2004 Re-elected in 2006 Re-elected in 2008 Re-elected in 2010 Retired
John Shimkus	Republican	January 3, 2013 – Present	113th 114th 115th 116th	Redistricted from the 19th district Re-elected in 2012 Re-elected in 2014 Re-elected in 2016 Re-elected in 2018

Election results

1872–2010

[data unknown/missing]

Voting in presidential elections

Year	District winner and result
2000	Bush 54 - 42%
2004	Bush 58 - 41%
2008	McCain 55 - 43%[3]
2012	Romney 64 - 34%[3]
2016	Trump 71 - 25%

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013

See also

• Illinois's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts

References

1. https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=17&cd=15
2. "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
3. Barone, Michael; McCutcheon, Chuck (2013). The Almanac of American Politics 2014. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 588–590. ISBN 978-0-226-10544-4. Copyright National Journal.
4. Illinois Congressional District 15, Illinois Board of Elections
5. "Congressman Shimkus Files for Re-Election in 15th Congressional District". WBJD Radio. December 23, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
6. "2012 General Election Candidates" (PDF). Champaign County Clerk. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
7. "IL-15: Fake Democrat running against GOP Rep. John Shimkus". dailykos.com.
8. Huchel, Brian L. (December 24, 2011). "Second candidate files in 15th Congressional District". Commercial-News. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
9. capitolfax.com/2016/01/13/poll-has-shimkus-leading-mccarter-65-13/
10. "Will John Shimkus be the tea party's next victim? A new poll says 'Hell no!'". dailykos.com.
11. http://www.dailyregister.com/news/20180320/democrats-nominate-gaither-to-face-shimkus-in-15th-congressional-district

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• 2002 Census of Agriculture - 15th Congressional District Profile
• District map
• Congressional district profiles
• Washington Post page on the 15th District of Illinois
• U.S. Census Bureau - 15th District Fact Sheet