Illinois to lose 1 seat in U.S. Congress, new Census shows

Illinois’ decade of population loss, with last year being the worst loss of people since World War II, will cost is one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some thought the new Census would cost Illinois two seats in Congress.

Illinois will lose one seat in Congress, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Illinois currently has 18 House seats.

It could have been worse: some predictions called for Illinois to lose two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Illinois had 12.8 million residents, the U.S. Census count found in 2020. Gains by other states drew bigger representation out of the 435 seats in the U.S. House.

Illinois lost a seat along with California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Census Bureau reported. Those seven seats went to Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon, each gaining one, and Texas gaining two seats.

The other states remain the same.

Illinois has been losing seats since it peaked at 27 seats before 1943.

News of the lost House seat comes on the heels of a decade of population loss that saw about 18,000 fewer Illinoisans than in 2010.

Illinois state lawmakers are tasked with redrawing the congressional districts, as well as their own state House and Senate districts by June 30. The partisan process in the past has been abused and gerrymandered by whichever party was in power at the time.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly vowed to veto any partisan map. from his campaign on. In January Pritzker’s spokesman said he, “has been clear he will veto a partisan map” and believes Illinois’ maps must reflect the state’s diversity to ensure “minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.”