This district guards the western and southwestern borders of Chicago. Its domain stretches across the suburbs to the edge of DuPage County, while claiming part of the city's Southwest Side as its own.

The people of this land are known as loyal Democrats by tradition, steadfast patriots by spirit, and united by many cultures. Yet their hearts have often defied expectations. In the Election of 1980, this district became one of only two Chicago districts to side with Republican Ronald Reagan. At the very same time, Democratic champion Marty Russo claimed victory with nearly 69% of the vote. Four years later, Reagan returned even stronger, winning 65%, while Russo once again defended the district with 64%.

The borders shifted in the 1990s, drawing the district into friendlier Democratic territory. Even so, victory was never guaranteed. In 1992, Bill Clinton prevailed by only a narrow 41% to 39% margin, despite overwhelming wins in Chicago's other South Side districts. By 1996, he strengthened his hold with 53%, though his support elsewhere on the South Side climbed as high as 85%.

The challenge continued into a new era. George W. Bush earned 41% of the vote here in both 2000 and 2004—his strongest showing in any district centered within Cook County—even as he failed to reach 21% in the region's other South Side districts. Meanwhile, much of the district's western suburbs once belonged to the old Fourth District, a Republican stronghold represented by Ed Derwinski, and townships such as Lyons, Palos, and Riverside continued to favor Bush in 2000.

Though presidential battles remain fiercely contested, one rule has endured: over the last eight elections, the Democratic candidate for Congress has consistently outperformed the party's presidential nominee by an average of twenty points.