| Illinois's 16th congressional district | ||
|---|---|---|
| The 16th congressional district of Illinois | ||
| Current Representative | Donald A. Manzullo (R–Egan) | |
| Distribution | 78.29% urban, 21.71% rural | |
| Population (2000) | 653,647 | |
| Median income | $48,960 | |
| Ethnicity | 88.9% White, 5.4% Black, 1.3% Asian, 6.5% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% other | |
| Cook PVI | R+2 | |
The 16th Congressional District of Illinois covers a part of northern Illinois, including the cities of Rockford, Crystal Lake, Machesney Park, Belvidere, Freeport and Galena, and all or parts of Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Carroll, Ogle, DeKalb, and Whiteside counties.
For decades, the 16th district has been the most geographically stable district in Illinois. While its exact shape has fluctuated slightly with each reapportionment, for the past 50 years, in comparison to the other districts in the state, it has been almost stationary—always forming the northwest corner of the state, and extending far enough east to include its largest city, Rockford.[1] This geographic stability has also contributed to electoral stability; the district elected a Republican in 49 out of 55 elections from 1900-2010.
However, with the new map drawn for 2012, the familiar shape of the 16th is being rendered unrecognizable. Rockford itself will be split between the 16th and 17th districts, and the 16 will no longer include northwest Illinois, but will stretch from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana border, like a quilt wrapped around the collar counties and Chicagoland. Most of northwest Illinois will find itself in a very differently-shaped 17th district.
Prominent past representatives from the 16th district have included Everett Dirksen, who went on to become the Republican leader in the United States Senate; John B. Anderson, who became the 3rd highest ranking Republican in the House and went on to run as a major independent candidate in the 1980 Presidential election; and Lynn Martin, who later served as US Secretary of Labor. The district has been represented by Republican Donald A. Manzullo since 1993.
Contents |
| Election results from presidential races | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | Obama 53 - 45% |
| 2004 | President | Bush 55 - 44% |
| 2000 | President | Bush 54 - 43% |
| Representative | Party | Years | District home | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created March 4, 1873 | ||||
| James S. Martin | Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | ||
| William A. J. Sparks | Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883 | ||
| Aaron Shaw | Democratic | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | ||
| Silas Z. Landes | Democratic | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 | ||
| George W. Fithian | Democratic | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 | ||
| Finis E. Downing | Democratic | March 4, 1895 – June 5, 1896 | Lost contested election | |
| John I. Rinaker | Republican | June 5, 1896 – March 3, 1897 | Won contested election | |
| William H. Hinrichsen | Democratic | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 | ||
| William E. Williams | Democratic | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 | ||
| Thomas J. Selby | Democratic | March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 | ||
| Joseph V. Graff | Republican | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911 | Redistricted from the 14th district | |
| Claude U. Stone | Democratic | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917 | ||
| Clifford C. Ireland | Republican | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1923 | ||
| William E. Hull | Republican | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933 | ||
| Everett Dirksen | Republican | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1949 | ||
| Leo E. Allen | Republican | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1961 | Redistricted from the 13th district | |
| John B. Anderson | Republican | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1981 | ||
| Lynn Morley Martin | Republican | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1991 | ||
| John W. Cox, Jr. | Democratic | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993 | ||
| Donald A. Manzullo | Republican | January 3, 1993 – Present | Incumbent | |
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008
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