U.S. House, Illinois - 13th District
Southwest Chicago suburbs -- Naperville
Race Forecast: Republican Favored
2008: Rep.
2006: Biggert (R) 58 percent, Joseph Shannon (D) 42 percent
Biggert, a fiscally conservative and socially moderate Republican, is favored to secure a sixth term in the southwest Chicago suburbs. But she has to be mindful of an upset-minded challenge from Democratic businessman Scott Harper, whose $826,000 in receipts as October began is nearly four times more than what Biggert’s little-known 2006 opponent raised in a campaign that netted 42 percent of the vote.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Judy Biggert, R
- First Elected: 1998 (5th term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (58.33%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Republican Favored
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
More than half of the suburban Chicago-based 13th’s population lives in the district’s booming southern part of DuPage County, an area that includes Naperville. Nearly one-third of district residents live in northern Will County communities such as Bolingbrook and Romeoville, with the rest living in the southwestern edge of Cook County.
Naperville, Downers Grove (a small part of which is in the 6th) and Oak Brook (shared with the 6th) have become leading suburban Chicago business centers, and companies such as OfficeMax, Sara Lee and McDonald’s have corporate headquarters here. These large corporations and other high-paying employers have been attracted to the district by Chicago’s busy O’Hare International Airport (nearby in the 6th) as well as the state’s second-highest percentage of white collar workers. The presence of these corporations has helped the 13th achieve the highest median income in the state, and one of the top 10 nationwide, at nearly $72,000.
The Argonne National Laboratory, in southeast DuPage, and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, in the neighboring 14th, have made the area into a scientific research and technology hub. DePaul University also has a campus in Naperville.
The district’s growth over the past decade has created serious traffic problems for its suburban residents. But despite two-thirds growth since 1990 and long commutes for those who work in Chicago, Naperville routinely ranks among the nation’s best places to live.
Voters in the 13th tend to vote Republican. While many residents are fiscally conservative, they generally hold moderate views on social and environmental issues. George W. Bush won the 13th with 55 percent of the vote in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
Major Industry
Scientific research, health care, insurance
Cities
Naperville, 128,358; Bolingbrook, 56,321; Downers Grove (pt.), 45,139
notable
The Millennium Carillon in Naperville is among the four largest such structures in the world, with a system of 72 bronze bells weighing up to six tons each.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 653,647
- Under 18: 28%
- Over 65: 9%
- Married: 63.4%
- Non-Hispanic White: 82%
- Black: 5%
- Hispanic: 5%
- Asian: 7%
- Foreign Born: 11.1%
- Language other than English: 15.7%
- Median Household Income: 71,686
- Owner Occupied Housing: 81%
- Income above $200k: 6.1
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 74.9%
- Blue Collar: 15.8%
- Services: 9.3%
- Bachelor's Degree: 42%
- Graduate Education: 15.4%
- Civilian Veterans: 46,665
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Judy Biggert (R) | 180,888 | 53.6% |
| Scott Harper (D) | 147,430 | 43.6% | ||
| Steve Alesch (GREEN) | 9,402 | 2.8% | ||
| 2006 | general | Judy Biggert (R) | 119,720 | 58.3% |
| Joseph Shannon (D) | 85,507 | 41.7% | ||
| 2004 | general | Judy Biggert (R) | 200,472 | 65% |
| Gloria Andersen (D) | 107,836 | 35% | ||
| 2002 | general | Judy Biggert (R) | 139,546 | 70.3% |
| Thomas Mason (D) | 59,069 | 29.7% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 45% | George W. Bush: 55% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 42% | George W. Bush: 55% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIGGERT, JUDY (R) | November 24, 2008 | $1,415,170.00 | $1,573,646.00 | $55,680.00 | $697,166.00 | $52,653.00 | $298,250.00 |
| SHANNON, JOSEPH (D) | June 30, 2008 | $10,456.00 | $10,541.00 | $5,456.00 | $292.00 | $23,000.00 | |
| HARPER, SCOTT (D) | November 24, 2008 | $1,057,258.00 | $1,053,070.00 | $8,000.00 | $751,154.00 | $4,187.00 | $159,908.00 |
| O'KANE, SEAN THOMAS (R) | September 30, 2008 | $231,425.00 | $231,530.00 | $1,400.00 | |||
