Il. Loss of a US House Seat in New Census Could Hurt Downstate - EIU Prof

As many had expected, Illinois will be losing a U.S. House seat as a result of the 2010 Census. With an official population of 12,830,632, the state's population grew 3.3 percent --- an increase dwarfed by double-digit growth in many western and southern states.

Eastern Illinois University political science professor Andrew McNitt said the new census includes a downwards reapportionment for Illinois, from 19 House seats to 18. Unlike the legislative remaps of 1990 and 2000, Democrats are now in firm control of state government, and McNitt said they will not have to send the job of redistricting to a bipartisan commission. But he said they will still have to produce a map with one fewer member of Congress.

"What happens is that somebody has to lose," McNitt explained. "So if there is a congressman who retires, their district will mostly likely be cannibalized. It also has to do with relative population shifts within the state. Probably it means a somewhat larger increase in the districts downstate."

McNitt said a lack of growth in most downstate communities means that congressional districts in the region will be redrawn to cover more territory. He said the suburban collar counties surround the counties have seen most of Illinois' population growth in recent years, and will probably take a larger share of the remaining 18 House districts.

"The seats go to where the population goes," McNitt said. "And if it goes to the collar counties, which seems to be where it's going mostly, both the downstate and the inner city of Chicago are going to suffer some difficulties in terms of representation."

The neighboring states of Iowa, Michigan and Missouri will also lose one U-S House seat each as a result of the census, but Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin will keep the seats they currently have in place.