| Illinois's 1st congressional district | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 | |
| Representative | |
| Area | 621.6 sq mi (1,610 km2) |
| Population (2023) | 751,575 |
| Median household income | $67,268[1] |
| Ethnicity |
|
| Cook PVI | D+20[2] |
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Illinois's first congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago and continues southwest to Joliet.
From 2003 to early 2013 it extended into the city's southwest suburbs until reaching the border of Will County, and covered 97.84 square miles (253.4 km2), making it one of the 40 smallest districts in the U.S. (although there are four smaller districts in Illinois). The district had a population that was 65% African American, the highest percentage of any congressional district in the nation, but with redistricting that percentage has now declined to 52%. It includes the home of former President Barack Obama.
The 1st is a majority-minority district, and has been since at least the 1920s. In 1929, it became the first district in the 20th century to send an African American to Congress when Republican Oscar Stanton De Priest was elected to represent the district. The 1st has been represented by an African American Member of Congress ever since, the longest ongoing stretch of black representation for any seat in the House of Representatives. It has been held by a Democrat since 1935 when Arthur Mitchell, the first African American Democrat elected to Congress, took the seat as part of the New Deal Coalition. In 1949, district representative William Dawson became the first African American to chair a congressional committee.
The district is currently represented by Jonathan Jackson who was elected to succeed longtime incumbent Bobby Rush in 2022.[3]
- ^ "My Congressional District: Congressional District 1 (118th Congress), Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ "Jonathan Jackson keeps 1st congressional seat in Democratic hands following US Rep. Bobby Rush's retirement". Chicago Tribune. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.