SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois will lose another seat in Congress as a result of the 2020 Census.
The announcement Monday that Illinois’ population is 12.82 million — a drop of just 0.3% from a decade earlier — continues a long slide in prestige and power for Illinois. The state has forfeited 10 seats in the U.S. House in the last nine censuses. The effect could mean fewer federal dollars and larger congressional districts in central and southern Illinois.
It also will likely strengthen the Democrats’ political grip on the state, with the party controlling the Statehouse and governor’s office.
