The 16th congressional district of Illinois is represented by Republican Darin LaHood. 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 United States presidential election; and Lynn Martin, who later served as United States Secretary of Labor.
For more than six decades, the shape of the 16th district fluctuated far less than that of any other Illinois congressional district. At this time, it generally included the northwest corner of the state, extending just far enough to the east to grab its largest city, Rockford. By the 1990s, it also extended eastward to include part of McHenry County, an outer suburb of Chicago. This geographic stability also contributed to electoral stability. It first became a Rockford-based district for the 1948 election, and from then until 2012, it was represented by just five people, all but one of whom was a Republican. The sole Democrat to have held it in that period, John W. Cox, Jr., only did so for one term.
History 2011 redistricting The congressional district covers parts of DeKalb, Ford, Stark, Will and Winnebago counties, and all of Boone, Bureau, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Ogle and Putnam counties, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Belvidere, Channahon, DeKalb, Dixon, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Ottawa, Morris, Pontiac, Rockford and Streator are included.Illinois Congressional District 16 , Illinois Board of Elections The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 5, 2013.
After the 2010 census, the 16th was significantly redrawn for the first time in decades. It was pushed to the east to include the southwestern exurbs of the Chicago metropolitan area, stretching from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana border. While it still included most of Rockford's suburbs, half of Rockford itself (mainly the Democratic-leaning western portion of the city) was shifted to the 17th district. The district was significantly redrawn again after the 2020 census, essentially merging the more Republican portions of the old 16th and 18th districts.
Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST17/CD119_IL16.pdf
Boone County (12)
Belvidere (part, also 11th), Belvidere Township (part, also 11th), Boone Township, Caledonia, Caledonia Township, Capron, Flora Township (part, also 11th), Leroy Township, Manchester Township, Poplar Grove (part, also 11th), Poplar Grove Township, Timberlane
Bureau County (32)
Annawan (part, shared with Henry County), Arispie Township, Buda, Bureau Township, Clarion Township, Concord Township, Dover, Dover Township, Fairfield Township, Gold Township, Greenville Township, Indiantown Township, La Moille, La Moille Township, Leepertown Township (part, also 14th), Macon Township, Manlius, Manlius Township, Mineral, Mineral Township, Neponset, Neponset Township, New Bedford, Ohio, Ohio Township, Princeton, Princeton Township, Sheffield, Tiskilwa, Walnut, Walnut Township, Wyanet, Wyanet Township
DeKalb County (4)
Franklin Township, Kirkland, Mayfield Township, South Grove Township
Ford County (2)
Drummer Township (part, also 2nd), Gibson City
Grundy County (34)
All 34 townships and municipalities
Henry County (31)
Alba Township, Alpha, Annawan (part, shared with Bureau County), Annawan Township, Andover, Andover Township, Atkinson, Atkinston Township, Bishop Hill, Burns Township, Cambridge, Cambridge Township, Cleveland, Clover Township, Colona Township (part, also 17th), Cornwall Township, Edford Township, Geneseo, Geneseo Township, Hooppole, Loraine Township, Lynn Township, Munson Township, Osco Township, Orion, Oxford Township, Phenix Township, Weller Township, Western Township, Woodhull, Yorktown Township
Jo Daviess County (33)
All 33 townships and municipalities
LaSalle County (22)
Allen Township, Brookfield Township, Bruce Township, Deer Park Township (part, also 14th), Eagle Township, Eden Township (part, also 14th), Fall River Township, Farm Ridge Township (part, also 14th), Grand Rapids Township, Grand Ridge, Hope Township, Kangley, Leonore, Lostant, Marseilles, Otter Creek Township, Ransom, Richland Township, Seneca (part, also 14th; shared with Grundy County), Streator (part, shared with Livingston County), Tonica (part, also 14th), Vermillion Township
Lee County (34)
All 34 townships and municipalities
Livingston County (17)
Amity Township, Cornell, Eppards Point Township, Esmen Township, Flanagan, Long Point, Long Point Township, Nebraska Township, Newtown Township, Pike Township, Pontiac (part, also 2nd), Pontiac Township (part, also 2nd), Reading Township, Rooks Creek Township, Streator (part, shared with LaSalle County), Sunbury Township, Waldo Township
Marshall County (21)
All 21 townships and municipalities
McHenry County (6)
Alden, Alden Township, Chemung Township, Dunham Township, Hartland Township (part, also 11th), Harvard
McLean County (48)
Allin Township, Anchor, Anchor Township, Arrowsmith, Arrowsmith Township, Bellflower, Bellflower Township, Bloomington (part, also 17th), Bloomington Township, Blue Mound Township, Carlock, Cheney's Grove Township, Chenoa, Chenoa Township, Colfax, Cooksville, Cropsey Township, Dale Township (part, also 17th; includes part of Twin Grove), Danvers, Danvers Township, Dawson Township, Downs, Downs Township, Dry Grove Township (part, also 17th; includes part of Twin Grove), Ellsworth, Empire Township, Gridley, Gridley Township, Heyworth, Hudson, Hudson Township, Lawndale Township, Le Roy, Lexington, Lexington Township, Martin Township, Money Creek Township, Normal (part, also 17th), Normal Township (part, also 17th), Old Town Township, Randolph Township, Saybrook, Stanford, Towanda, Towanda Township, West Township, White Oak Township, Yates Township
Ogle County (37)
All 37 townships and municipalities
Peoria County (19)
Akron Township, Bellevue (part, also 17th), Brimfield, Brimfield Township, Chillicothe, Chillicothe Township, Dunlap, Hallock Township, Jubilee Township, Kickapoo Township, Limestone Township (part, also 17th), Medina Township, Millbrook Township, Norwood, Peoria (part, also 17th), Princeville, Princeville Township, Radnor Township, West Peoria (part, also 17th)
Putnam County (5)
Hennepin Township (part, also 14th), Magnolia, Magnolia Township, McNabb, Senachwine Township
Stark County (12)
All 12 townships and municipalities
Stephenson County (15)
Buckeye Township, Cedarville (part, also 17th), Dakota, Dakota Township, Davis, Lena, Oneco Township, Orangeville, Rock City, Rock Grove Township, Rock Run Township, Waddams Township, West Point Township, Winslow, Winslow Township
Tazewell County (24)
Cincinnati Township (part, also 17th), Creve Coeur, Deer Creek (part, shared with Woodford County), Deer Creek Township, East Peoria, Elm Grove Township, Fondulac Township, Groveland Township, Hopedale, Hopedale Township (part, also 17th), Little Mackinaw Township (part, also 17th), Mackinaw, Mackinaw Township, Marquette Heights, Minier, Morton, Morton Township, North Pekin, Pekin (part, also 17th), Pekin Township (part, also 17th), Tremont, Tremont Township, Washington, Washington Township
Winnebago County (22)
Burritt Township, Cherry Valley, Cherry Valley Township (part, also 17th), Durand, Durand Township, Harlem Township, Harrison Township, Laona Township, Loves Park (part, also 17th), Machesney Park, New Milford, Owen Township, Pecatonica, Pecatonica Township, Rockford (part, also 17th), Rockford Township (part, also 17th), Rockton, Rockton Township, Roscoe, Roscoe Township, Shirland Township, Winnebago Township (part, also 17th)
Woodford County (17)
All 17 townships and municipalities
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 52% - 46%2012 PresidentRomney 59% - 41%2016 PresidentTrump 58% - 34% SenateKirk 59% - 34% Comptroller (Spec.)Munger 63% - 31%2018 GovernorRauner 55% - 35% Attorney GeneralHarold 63% - 35% Secretary of StateWhite 51% - 46% ComptrollerSenger 56% - 40% TreasurerDodge 58% - 39%2020 PresidentTrump 60% - 38% SenateCurran 58% - 38%2022 SenateSalvi 60% - 39% GovernorBailey 61% - 36% Attorney GeneralDeVore 63% - 34% Secretary of StateBrady 65% - 32% ComptrollerTeresi 60% - 38% TreasurerDemmer 62% - 35%2024 PresidentTrump 60% - 38%
List of members representing the district Member Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District created March 4, 1873 James S. Martin Republican March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1872.Lost re-election.1873–1883 William A. J. Sparks Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1883 Elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Retired. Aaron Shaw Democratic March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1885 Elected in 1882.Retired.1883–1893 Silas Z. Landes Democratic March 4, 1885 –March 3, 1889 Elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886. Retired. George W. Fithian Democratic March 4, 1889 –March 3, 1895 Elected in 1888.Re-elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Redistricted to the 19th district and lost re-election there.1893–1895 Finis E. Downing Democratic March 4, 1895 –June 5, 1896 Elected in 1894. Lost contested election.1895–1903 John I. Rinaker Republican June 5, 1896 –March 3, 1897 Won contested election. Lost re-election. William H. Hinrichsen Democratic March 4, 1897 –March 3, 1899 Elected in 1896.