Guest Post: What a fair subcircuit map might look like

In a recent post, Frank Calabrese looked at how the Cook County judicial subcircuits had been drawn and offered some ideas about what a new map might look like.

Now he's offering a specific map -- and explaining why he's drawn it as he has....

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by Frank Calabrese

I have been drawing the Cook County subcircuits, curious what a “fair” map might look like. I drew a map with four guiding principles. 1) exactly equal population, 2) maximize minority representation, 3) cohesive communities, and 4) easily understood boundaries. One principle I did not use when drawing my map was clout. The result of my map is this:

The population of each subcircuit is almost exactly 346,500, with a population deviation under 0.1%. To create a map with equal subcircuit population, people from populous subcircuits, especially the 8th subcircuit and 15th subcircuit, must be transferred to less populous subcircuits, the 1st, 2nd, and 5th subcircuits. This is achieved by shrinking the 8th subcircuit considerably and having the 5th subcircuit absorb the South Loop from the 8th subcircuit. The 1st and 2nd subcircuits absorb the south suburban portion of the 15th subcircuit.

I also try to maximize minority representation. I do this by drawing the 6th subcircuit to be as Latino as possible, changing it from a white majority district into a Latino majority district. This is achieved by moving it west. My proposed 6th subcircuit is entirely west of Western Avenue and ends at Harlem Avenue. I draw the 7th subcircuit to be as Black as possible by removing white areas like the West Loop, Berwyn, and River Forest, and replacing them with Black areas like Maywood, Bellwood, and Broadview. I maintain the Black 1st, 2nd, and 5th subcircuits to be at least 70% Black each by incorporating Black precincts currently in the 3rd and 15th subcircuits.

I also try to make the subcircuits make sense from a community standpoint. I try to make the 9th Subcircuit a cohesive community by removing working class suburbs and focusing it on Evanston, Skokie, and Rogers Park to create a liberal subcircuit that would be friendly to Jewish candidates. The current 11th subcircuit is an odd marriage of highly educated Oak Park and working-class Chicago neighborhoods and the 10th subcircuit is an odd marriage of highly educated and liberal 47th Ward and conservative 41st Ward. I create an 11th subcircuit that is focused on the northwest side of Chicago and surrounding suburbs, a subcircuit that would be friendly to Labor interests. I drew the 10th subcircuit to focus on the northside of Chicago, an area that is highly educated and affluent. I also incorporate Oak Park into more similar suburbs, such as LaGrange Park, Riverside, and River Forest.

Lastly, I drew boundaries along major highways, so that voters can easily understand the boundaries. Here is a Google Maps version of my proposed subcircuit map:

I enjoy making maps, and any feedback is appreciated.