Why the South suburbs prevailed again in Cook County Board District 17

Cook County's 17th District is shaped like a cherry, with a large circle covering the south suburbs and a slim "stem" that extends into Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Prospect Heights, Wheeling and Mount Prospect.

Because of the lopsided population between north and south, the district has been represented by South suburban candidates for the past 20 years. That reign is set to continue, as this week both the Republican and Democratic voters rejected the candidates from the north end of the district - Park Ridge physician Victor Forys and Des Plaines attorney Mark Thompson - in favor of Orland Park residents Patrick Maher and Elizabeth "Liz" Gorman.

According to the Cook County Clerk's office, the district's four northern townships - Elk Grove, Wheeling, Maine and Northfield - accounted for only about 25 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary.

Because of the unusual layout, some Northwest suburban township committeemen are anxious for the county board districts to be redrawn.

"It has to be one of the most ill-proportioned districts in the state," said Laura Murphy, Maine Township's Democratic committeewoman. "Clearly, this is an example of gerrymandering."

The way the districts are now, Maine and Wheeling townships each have three Cook County Board districts in them, making it difficult for the parties to carry any political weight, the committeemen said.

"We'd be able to have a lot more force if we could narrow the number of representatives. It's tough to bring out the vote," Murphy said.

Kathleen Sances, Wheeling Township's Democratic committeewoman, questioned whether the county board was too big - and maybe reducing the number of districts would simplify things and save money. She realizes scaling back is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

"You kind of just have to live with it right now," she said. "If we could get like-minded reform candidates, then maybe we could see some real effective change."

Ruth O'Connell, Wheeling Township's Republican committeewoman, has come to accept that the 17th District is "a South side seat."

"The way the 17th District was drawn is crazy," she said. "We should be in one district, at the most, two. But the south end of the county wants to protect their seats. I understand that."

After the new U.S. Census Bureau data is released in 2011, Cook County will be required by law to redraw its districts based on population, said Lee Roupas, Cook County Republican Party committeeman. However, because of the way the elections fall, the county remap wouldn't be effective until 2014, he said.

There's a movement afoot to make redistricting more fair and less political. Petition signatures are now being collected for The Illinois Fair Map Amendment, at ilfairmap.com, in hopes of having legislative boundaries determined by a computer and not power brokers, said Cook County League of Women Voters President Cynthia Schilsky.

Ray Hanania, a radio show host and blogger from Orland Park who follows District 17 politics, supports redistricting in Cook County. He says he can see why residents in the north end of the district aren't interested in these races.

"The district should be redrawn," Hanania said. "It creates a huge burden on anyone who represents that district. It's better to have more cohesive districts. It makes for better representation."