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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the 18 U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts, a loss of one seat following the 2010 United States Census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. Primary elections were held on March 20, 2012.
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Redistricting
A redistricting bill was introduced to the Illinois General Assembly by members of the Democratic Party in May 2011. Although Representatives are not required to live within their districts, the new map draws the homes of at least five Republican incumbents into districts where they will have to run against other Republicans, and others into districts which strongly favor Democrats.
After an amendment which modified the 13th and 15th districts was passed with Republican support, the new map was passed by the Illinois House of Representatives on May 30, 2011 and the Senate on May 31. Governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat, signed the map into law on June 24. Republican members of the congressional delegation planned to mount a legal challenge.
District 1
The 1st district, which has been represented by Democrat Bobby Rush since 1993, had seen a decline in population and so now extends into the Chicago suburbs and rural areas of Will County. Harold Bailey; Raymond Lodato; Rush; Clifford Russell Jr.; Jordan Sims, a political commentator for an online newspaper; and Fred Smith sought the Democratic nomination. Bobby Rush won the primary with over 80% of the vote.
Blue Island mayor Donald Peloquin won the Republican nomination. He defeated Frederick Collins, a police officer who unsuccessfully ran for Cook County Sheriff in 2010, and Jimmy Lee Tillman II.
District 2
The new 2nd district stretches from Kankakee County, through Will County and to Chicago. Democrat Jesse Jackson, Jr., who has represented the 2nd district since 1999, will seek re-election. Former U.S. Representative Debbie Halvorson, who represented the 11th district from 2009 to 2011, challenged Jackson in the Democratic primary. Jackson won with about 70% of the vote.
Brian Woodworth, an associate professor at Olivet Nazarene University, won the Republican nomination. He defeated James Taylor Sr., a newspaper publisher. Republican Adam Kinzinger, who was first elected to represent the 11th district in 2010 and now lives in the 2nd district, is seeking re-election in the 16th district.
Results
District 3
The 3rd district, which has been represented by Democrat Dan Lipinski since 2005, now extends to Bridgeport, Chicago and Lockport, Will County. Lipinski is seeking re-election. Farah Baqai, a police officer, unsuccessfully challenged Lipinski in the Democratic primary. Insurance executive and health care activist John Atkinson was expected to challenge incumbent Lipinski, and raised over $535,000 in the first quarter of 2011, but no longer lives in Lipinski's district. Atkinson had considered instead running in the 11th district, but suspended his campaign on June 14, 2011.
Richard Grabowski, a supervisor at a manufacturing company, won the Republican nomination. He defeated attorney Jim Falvey and insurance sales representative Arthur J. Jones.
Results
District 4
The 4th district, which has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutiérrez since 1993, was extended to incorporate Gutiérrez's new home in Portage Park. Gutiérrez secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Jorge Zavala, who has taught with the City Colleges of Chicago and ran as a write-in candidate since he had been removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012.
Héctor Concepción, a former director of the Puerto Rican chamber of commerce, had been removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012, but has since refiled and is challenging Gutiérrez as the Republican nominee in the general election.
District 5
The 5th district, which has been represented by Democrat Mike Quigley since 2009, was redrawn to include Franklin Park, Elmwood Park, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, River Grove, Schiller Park and parts of Melrose Park, Stone Park and the North Side of Chicago. Quigley will seek re-election.
Dan Schmitt, who is self-employed, won the Republican nomination with no opposition.
Nancy Wade, a community activist, is running as the Green Party nominee.
Results
District 6
The 6th district, which has been represented by Republican Peter Roskam since 2007, is one of two districts which are expected to remain strongly favorable to Republicans although it has been redrawn to include Algonquin, Barrington, Cary, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Lake in the Hills, Lake Zurich, Palatine, South Elgin, West Chicago, Westmont and Wheaton. Roskam ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Leslie Coolidge, a Certified Public Accountant and former partner at KPMG; won the Democratic nomination. She ran against Geoffrey Petzel, the owner of a small business; and Maureen E. Yates, a retired businesswoman. Tim Ritter, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago had planned to run, but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012.
Khizar Jafri, a traffic analyst, is running as an Independent.
Results
District 7
The 7th district, which has been represented by Democrat Danny K. Davis since 1997, was redrawn to include parts of LaGrange Park and Westchester. Davis will seek re-election. Jacques A. Conway, a pastor and retired police officer, unsuccessfully challenged Davis in the Democratic primary.
Rita Zak is challenging Davis as the Republican nominee.
Results
District 8
Republican Joe Walsh, who was first elected to represent the 8th district in 2010, ran for re-election despite no longer living within the redrawn boundaries of the district. Walsh had initially decided to run in the redrawn 14th district. Walsh defeated write-in candidate Robert Canfield, a business owner who had planned to challenge him in the Republican primary before being removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections. Rich Evans, an accountant, had planned to challenge Walsh in the Republican primary, but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in January 2012. State representative David Harris; Craig Johnson, the mayor of Elk Grove Village; businessman Andrew Palomo and DuPage County Superintendent of Education Darlene Ruscitti did not run.
Tammy Duckworth won the Democratic nomination. Duckworth is an Iraq veteran, a former official in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a former candidate for Illinois's 6th congressional district in 2006. She defeated Raja Krishnamoorthi, a former deputy state treasurer and unsuccessful candidate for Illinois Comptroller in 2010. Melissa Bean, a Democrat who represented the 8th district from 2005 until 2011, said in April 2011 that she would not run in 2012, and in June 2011 endorsed Krishnamoorthi's campaign.
Walsh and Duckworth scheduled four debates. The first was held on May 12, 2012 on CLTV, the second on September 14 in West Dundee at Heritage Fest, the third on October 9 on WCPT and WIND at the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, open to 8th district residents. The fourth was held on October 18 on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight.
The Chicago Tribune endorsed Duckworth over Walsh on October 8, 2012, as did the Daily Herald.
Results
District 9
Democrat Jan Schakowsky, who has represented the 9th district since 1999, will seek re-election. Simon Ribeiro, a high school teacher who unsuccessfully ran as the Green Party nominee in 2010, unsuccessfully challenged Schakowsky in the Democratic primary.
Timothy Wolfe, an accountant, sought and received the Republican nomination unopposed. Robert Dold, who was first elected to represent the 10th district in 2010, lives in the new 9th district, but will seek re-election in the 10th. Wolfe earned the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune.
Results
District 10
Robert Dold, who was first elected to represent the 10th district in 2010, will seek re-election. Dold no longer lives in the redrawn district, but will move into the district if he wins re-election.
Deerfield management consultant Brad Schneider won the Democratic nomination. He defeated Vivek Bavda, an attorney from Mundelein; Ilya Sheyman, a community organizer from Waukegan; and John Tree, business executive and a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Aloys Rutagwibira, a mathematician and basketball coach, had planned to run but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012. State senator Susan Garrett and state representative Carol Sente, both of whom are Democrats, will not run. Bob McKenzie, a lawyer, had planned to run for the Democratic nomination, but withdrew from the race in July 2011.
Results
District 11
The newly drawn 11th district is the successor to the old 13th District, which has been represented by Republican Judy Biggert since 1999. While the reconfigured district contains half of Biggert's former territory, it was made significantly more Democratic than before. It now includes the Democratic-leaning areas of Joliet and Aurora. Biggert's home in Hinsdale was drawn into the 5th District, but Biggert is seeking reelection in this district.
Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham and Diane Harris, a notary public, had planned to run but were removed from the ballot by the Illinois State Board of Elections in February 2012. Chris Balkema, a member of the Grundy County Board; and Aurora alderman Richard Irvin both considered seeking the Republican nomination; however, both later announced they would not run. State senator Chris Lauzen, who had considered seeking the Republican nomination in the 11th district, instead ran for Kane County Board Chairman. Biggert won the primary against nominal write-in opposition from Harris.
Former U.S. Representative Bill Foster won the Democratic primary. He represented the 14th district from 2008 until 2011. Foster defeated James Hickey, the president of the Orland Fire Protection District; and former Aurora Township clerk Juan Thomas. Insurance executive and health care activist John Atkinson, who had previously planned to challenge fellow Democrat Dan Lipinski in the 3rd district, had expressed interest in running in the 11th district, where his home is located; but suspended his campaign on June 14, 2011. State representative Linda Chapa LaVia and state senator Linda Holmes, both Democrats, declined to run.
Results
District 12
Democrat Jerry Costello, who has represented the 12th district since 1988, decided to retire rather than run for re-election.
Major General (ret.) William Enyart, a lawyer and until 2012 the Adjutant General of Illinois, was the Democratic nominee and general election winner. St. Clair County Regional Superintendent of Schools Brad Harriman won the Democratic primary, defeating retired carpenter Kenneth Wiezer. Chris Miller, the Illinois political director of the Truman National Security Project and U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq War, had planned to run; but ended his campaign in February 2012 and endorsed Harriman (but remained on the primary ballot). In May 2012, however, Harriman dropped out of the race because of an illness; that left the decision of whom to name as a replacement candidate up to a committee that included the 12 Democratic county chairmen in the district and Rep. Costello. The committee unanimously selected Bill Enyart on June 23. St. Clair County Chief Judge John Baricevic; State representative John E. Bradley; Madison County Chief Judge Ann Callis; state senator James Clayborne, Jr.; state representative Jerry Costello II, the elder Costello's son; state senator Bill Haine; state representative Tom Holbrook; former state representative Jay C. Hoffman, who considered running in the 12th district while a candidate for the 13th; St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly; St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern; Madison County Circuit Clerk Matt Melucci; and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon chose not to seek the Democratic nomination.
Jason Plummer won the Republican nomination. He was the 2010 nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Plummer defeated Rodger Cook, a former mayor of Belleville, and Theresa Kormos, a nurse from O'Fallon and unsuccessful Republican primary candidate for the 12th district in 2010. Teri Newman, a businesswoman from Highland who unsuccessfully challenged Costello as the Republican nominee in 2010, had planned to run again but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012. State representative Mike Bost did not seek the Republican nomination.
Paula Bradshaw, a registered nurse, is running as the Green Party nominee. Retha Daugherty, a small-business owner and resident of Carbondale, had announced her intentions to be on the ballot as an Independent candidate, but had to drop her bid in April 2012 because of a change in state election law.
Results
District 13
The new 13th is the successor to the old 15th District, represented by Republican Tim Johnson since 2001. Johnson defeated Michael Firsching, a veterinarian, and Frank Metzger, a retired ironworker, in the Republican primary. In April 2012, however, Johnson chose to retire rather than seek re-election. A convention was held on May 19, 2012, to choose a replacement nominee. The four candidates chosen by local Republican officials that vied for the chance to replace Johnson on the ballot were: Jerry Clarke, chief of staff to fellow U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren and Johnson's former chief of staff; Rodney L. Davis, an aide to fellow U.S. Representative John Shimkus; Erika Harold, a lawyer and winner of Miss America in 2003; and Kathy Wassink, a businesswoman. Becky Doyle, a former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture; Firsching; Metzger; and Samuel Spradlin, a truck driver, were interviewed but not chosen for the position. The 14 GOP county chairmen in the district unanimously selected Davis as the party nominee.
Physician David Gill won the Democratic nomination. He defeated Greene County State's Attorney Matt Goetten. Democratic state senator Mike Frerichs, former state representative Jay Hoffman, labor lawyer Mark N. Lee, and Champaign County Board member Brendan McGinty did not run.
John Hartman, a medical technology company CFO, ran as an independent candidate.
Results
District 14
The redrawn 14th district will include McHenry County and parts of DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and Will counties. Republican Randy Hultgren, who was first elected to represent the 14th district in 2010, will run for re-election. Fellow Republican Joe Walsh, who was first elected to represent the 8th district in 2010 and had planned to challenge Hultgren in the Republican primary, will instead seek re-election in the redrawn 8th district.
The Democratic nominee is Dennis Anderson, a public health researcher and trustee of the International Breast Cancer Research Foundation. He defeated Jonathan Farnick, a computer support technician. Bill Foster, a Democrat who represented the 14th district from 2008 until 2011, decided to run in the 11th district in 2012 although some Illinois General Assembly leaders had hoped Foster would run in the 14th district, where his home is located. State representative Jack Franks considered a bid but decided against it. Frank McClatchey, a former McHenry alderman and former chairman of the McHenry County Democratic Party, had planned to run, but declined to do so following Walsh's decision to run elsewhere.
Results
District 15
Republican John Shimkus, who has represented the now-obsolete 19th district since 2003 and represented the 20th district (eliminated after redistricting following the 2000 Census) from 1997 until 2003, sought re-election in the new 15th district.
Angela Michael, a retired nurse, won the Democratic nomination without opposition.
Results
District 16
In redistricting, the 16th district was moved south to incorporate Livingston and Iroquois Counties and parts of Ford County. Republican U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger, who has represented the 11th district since January 2011, and Don Manzullo, who has represented the 16th district since 1993, sought re-election in the new 16th district. Kinzinger defeated Manzullo in a contentious primary. Frank Gambino, the majority leader of the Winnebago County Board, had been expected to form an exploratory committee with the aim of seeking the Republican nomination; however, he announced in September 2011 that he would instead run for the Illinois Senate.
Wanda Rohl, a social worker, was chosen by the district Democratic leaders on May 8, 2012 to run as the party nominee against Kinzinger.
Bronco Bojovic, a businessman, had planned to run as an Independent candidate but dropped out of the race in February 2012.
Results
District 17
The 17th district, based in Rock Island and Moline, was extended to include most of Rockford and the more Democratic areas of Peoria and Tazewell County, thereby making it more favorable to Democrats. Republican Bobby Schilling, who represented the district since January 2011, ran for re-election.
East Moline alderwoman Cheri Bustos won the Democratic nomination. She defeated Greg Aguilar, the director of multicultural services at Augustana College and Freeport mayor George Gaulrapp. Former state representative Mike Boland; former U.S. Representative Phil Hare, who represented the district from 2007 until 2011, state senator Dave Koehler, activist Porter McNeill, and former Rock Island mayor Mark Schwiebert did not run for the Democratic nomination.
Attorney Eric Reyes, who had announced he would seek the Democratic nomination, ran as an independent candidate.
Results
District 18
Republican Aaron Schock, who has represented the 18th district since 2009, ran for and won re-election. The district is one of two which were expected to remain strongly favorable to Republicans. Peoria's more Democratic southern portion was shifted to the 17th District, and was replaced by the heavily Republican Bloomington-Normal and Quincy areas. Darrel Miller, a farmer, had planned to challenge Schock in the Republican primary, but was removed from the ballot by the Illinois Board of Elections in February 2012.
Steve Waterworth, a farmer and former master sergeant in the Air Force and Air National Guard; and 28-year-old Matthew Woodmancy [2] Restaurant manager from Pekin sought the Democratic nomination. Waterworth won the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012, and faced Schock in the general election.