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Illinois' 13th Congressional District election, 2020

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2022
2018
Illinois' 13th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 2, 2019
Primary: March 17, 2020
General: November 3, 2020

Pre-election incumbent:
Rodney Davis (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Illinois
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Illinois' 13th Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th
Illinois elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

Incumbent Rodney Davis (R) defeated Betsy Londrigan (D) in the general election for Illinois' 13th Congressional District on November 3, 2020.

The race was one of 56 U.S. House rematches from 2018. In 2018, Davis defeated Londrigan 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent, or 2,058 votes. The 0.8 point margin of victory in 2018 marked a decrease from prior elections. In 2016 and 2014, the Republican candidate—Davis—won by margins of victory of 19.4 and 17.4 points, respectively.

Both the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) targeted this race. The NRCC named Davis to its Patriot Program, while the DCCC added Londrigan to its Red to Blue program and named Illinois’ 13th one of its target districts.[1][2][3]

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

Illinois' 13th Congressional District makes up a stretch of the central portion of the state. It includes Calhoun, Christian, De Witt, Greene, Jersey, Macon, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Piatt counties. Portions of Bond, Champaign, Madison, McLean, and Sangamon counties are also included in the district.[4]

This race was one of 89 congressional races that were decided by 10 percent or less in 2020.


Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Illinois' 13th Congressional District, 2020
Race Presidential U.S. House
Democratic candidate Democratic Party 47 45.5
Republican candidate Republican Party 50.5 54.5
Difference 3.5 9

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Illinois modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Mail-in ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election who cast ballots in the 2018 general election, the 2019 consolidated election, or the 2020 primary election.
  • Candidate filing procedures: The following changes were made to the filing procedures for unaffiliated and new-party candidates: petition signature requirements were reduced to 10 percent of their original numbers; candidates were authorized to collect petition signatures electronically; and the filing deadline was extended to July 20, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

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Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Incumbent Rodney Davis defeated Betsy Londrigan in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rodney Davis
Rodney Davis (R)
 
54.5
 
181,373
Image of Betsy Londrigan
Betsy Londrigan (D)
 
45.5
 
151,648

Total votes: 333,021
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Betsy Londrigan defeated Stefanie Smith in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Betsy Londrigan
Betsy Londrigan
 
76.5
 
48,766
Stefanie Smith
 
23.5
 
15,011

Total votes: 63,777
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Incumbent Rodney Davis advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rodney Davis
Rodney Davis
 
100.0
 
36,668

Total votes: 36,668
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[5] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Image of Rodney Davis

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

Biography:  Davis received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Millikin University. He went on to work for the Illinois Secretary of State and for U.S. Rep. John Shimkus' campaign from 1997 until 2012.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Davis said he worked across the aisle to secure small business loans in response to the coronavirus pandemic and would continue working to reopen the economy.


Davis said Betsy Londrigan’s (D) support for Democratic healthcare plans would lead to fewer medical jobs and reduced quality of care.


Davis listed lowering taxes as one of his priorities. He said he had worked in Congress with President Donald Trump (R) to do so.


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Illinois District 13 in 2020.

Image of Betsy Londrigan

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Londrigan received bachelor’s degrees in political science and rhetoric and composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She went on to work as an English teacher with Teach for America, as a fundraiser for Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and a development officer at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Londrigan said her experience with her son’s illness informed her support for expanding the Affordable Care Act, lowering prescription drug costs, and creating a public insurance option.


Londrigan said Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) voted to reduce healthcare coverage and to create tax breaks for the wealthy against his constituents’ interests.


Londrigan said she supported labor unions and would invest in creating manufacturing jobs, job training, and local small businesses.


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Illinois District 13 in 2020.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Illinois' 13th Congressional District election, 2020: General election polls
Poll Date Republican Party Davis Democratic Party Londrigan Other Margin of error Sample size Sponsor
Tulchin Research Oct. 1-6, 2020 43% 48% 9% ±4.9 400 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
RMG Research July 31-Aug. 7, 2020 41% 43% 16% ±4.5 500 U.S. Term Limits


Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[6] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[7] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Rodney Davis Republican Party $5,011,860 $4,891,001 $140,436 As of December 31, 2020
Betsy Londrigan Democratic Party $5,358,995 $5,343,868 $15,895 As of December 31, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+3, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Illinois' 13th Congressional District the 213th most Republican nationally.[8]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.06. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.06 points toward that party.[9]

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[10]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[11][12][13]

Race ratings: Illinois' 13th Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upLean RepublicanLean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upToss-upToss-upTilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement Davis (R) Londrigan (D)
Newspapers and editorials
Chicago Tribune[14]
The Pantagraph[15]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch[16]
The Vidette[17]
The News-Gazette[18]
Elected officials
Sen. Kamala Harris (D)[19]
Individuals
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[20]
Former President Barack Obama (D)[21]

Timeline

2020

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Republican Party Rodney Davis

Supporting Davis

"Sarah" - Davis campaign ad, released October 22, 2020
"Work Together" - Davis campaign ad, released October 14, 2020
"Shannon" - Davis campaign ad, released October 8, 2020
"Lindy" - Davis campaign ad, released September 16, 2020


Opposing Londrigan

"Very Best" - Davis campaign ad, released October 28, 2020
"No Proof" - Davis campaign ad, released October 28, 2020
"Lying Londrigan" - Davis campaign ad, released October 1, 2020
"Nurse Kathy" - Davis campaign ad, released September 21, 2020
"Madigan Machine" - Davis campaign ad, released September 16, 2020

Democratic Party Betsy Londrigan

Supporting Londrigan

"BACK" - Londrigan campaign ad, released October 16, 2020
"Farm" - Londrigan campaign ad, released August 24, 2020
"Personal" - Londrigan campaign ad, released August 11, 2020


Opposing Davis

"TRUTH" - Davis campaign ad, released October 28, 2020
"LEADER" - Davis campaign ad, released October 16, 2020
"PROBLEM" - Davis campaign ad, released October 16, 2020
"JAYNE" - Davis campaign ad, released October 2, 2020
"REAL" - Londrigan campaign ad, released September 25, 2020
"Hannah" - Londrigan campaign ad, released September 15, 2020
"Friend" - Londrigan campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

Satellite group ads

Opposing Davis

"Perfect Match" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released September 21, 2020

Opposing Londrigan

"Cash" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released September 28, 2020
"Turn" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released September 22, 2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Republican Party Rodney Davis

Davis’ campaign website stated the following:

CONSTITUENT SERVICES
“I am proud to support Rodney Davis for reelection. The time and effort Rodney has spent caring about Steve, myself, and our family is incredible. Rodney Davis is the real deal and I look forward to continue working with him to ensure that the federal government continues to assist in research and finding cures for horrible diseases such as ALS.” – Tammie Rockford

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY
Unemployment is at a 49-year low, our economy is growing, and 90 percent of Americans are seeing bigger paychecks. The optimism in our economy is because Republicans in Congress and the Administration have focused on making pro-growth reforms. We’ve worked to rollback Obama-era regulations that have stifled economic growth and passed the first major overhaul of our tax code in nearly 31 years. But there’s still more work to be done.

Investing in infrastructure, passing a Farm Bill, and reforming our workforce training programs are critical to furthering economic growth in the 13th District. I continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these important issues.

Rodney believes we must lower taxes for everyone, including small business owners, and reduce red tape and regulations. Government doesn’t create jobs, which means Congress should get out of the way of business owners and let them do their jobs.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
I believe government officials should be accountable to those we serve. As Vice Chair of the Committee on House Administration, I led reforms that strengthened spending controls on members of Congress’ office budgets and made the House the most transparent entity within the federal government. I’ve also introduced and supported good-government bills like the Protecting Taxpayers from Corruption Act, to prevent the abuse of workers’ compensation and create more transparency within government, and the End Government Shutdowns Act, to stop crisis governing.

Additionally, I helped lead the first overhaul of the Congressional Accountability Act in more than 20 years to reform sexual harassment rules governing Congress. H.R. 4924 and H.Res. 724, which passed unanimously out of the House, will strengthen employee protections, increase transparency, and hold members personally responsible for their conduct and taxpayer dollars. Whether it’s in government, the media, or Hollywood, no one should have to worry about sexual harassment when they come to work. I believe Congress should lead by example.

TAXES
This Congress and President Trump, passed the first major tax reform in 31 years. We lowered tax rates so now 90 percent of Americans are seeing bigger paychecks because Washington is taking less. When people file their taxes next year, they’ll see the standard deduction doubled, the Child Tax Credit doubled, and maintains other popular deductions so the average family of four in the 13th District earning the median income of $78,509 with save around $2,224. Because Democrats refused to support tax reform, we were forced to put an expiration date on these tax cuts on the individual side. However, I’m working to pass a bill that would make these tax cuts permanent and ensure your taxes won’t increase in 2025.

Some, and understandably so, were concerned about further increasing our debt if we were to cut taxes for Americans, but our tax code was so outdated that is wasn’t allowing companies or the American people be competitive with the rest of the world. We chose economic growth and earlier this year the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revised it’s cost estimate because our economy is growing so much that our government is bringing in more revenue even though people are paying less. The CBO confirmed that 88% of the price tag of cutting American’s taxes is being covered by the economic growth being generated.

We now have a tax code that allows our businesses to compete with the rest of the world. Millions of workers are already seeing the benefits of tax reform because businesses are increasing wages, giving bonuses, expanding paid family leave, and contributing more to their retirement. Tax reform is incentivizing companies to stay in America and hire more American workers.

SPENDING
We have a government that still spends, borrows and taxes too much. As President Reagan said, “The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.”

Our national debt has surpassed $17 trillion, nearly $53,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. In fact recently, the CBO released a report stating without major reforms, federal debt held by the public would reach 100 percent of GDP in 2038. This is wrong and immoral. It undermines the dollar and our place in the global market, resulting is more economic uncertainty that the nation cannot afford.

Washington should live by the same rules as every American family and that means balancing our budget and only spending what we take in.

HEALTHCARE
I know that a one-size-fits-all, government-mandated health care system is not the answer for addressing the needs of both people with health insurance and the uninsured. Just after the birth of our daughter Toryn, my wife Shannon was diagnosed with colon cancer. Thankfully, Shannon beat the cancer, but it gave me first-hand knowledge of dealing with serious medical conditions under our health insurance model. However, our health care system isn’t working for everyone, especially those with pre-existing conditions on Obamacare because they can’t afford to use the health insurance they have.

Not only is protecting coverage for people with pre-existing coverage important, but so is finding cures and medical advancements for some of our deadliest diseases.

I voted to reform our broken health care system to lower costs, expand access, and increase coverage. Obamacare has limited choices with 18 of the 23 Obamacare insurance co-ops failing and insurance companies fleeing the market leaving 75 percent of Illinois with the choice of 1 or 2 insurance providers. This drives up costs. In fact, nearly 60 million Americans still don’t have insurance at all or can’t afford to use the insurance they have.

Since 2013, Illinois has seen premiums increase by 108 percent and people’s out-of-pocket costs have increased by an average of 64 percent nationally. This is not affordable or sustainable for anyone. We can do better.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed that the reforms passed by the House would have lowered monthly premiums and increase opportunities for group insurance, which typically provides the best coverage for the most affordable price. Unfortunately, these reforms failed in the Senate.

It’s imperative that Republicans and Democrats come together to fix our broken health care system.

AGRICULTURE
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I work to be a voice for 13th District agriculture in Washington. I routinely hold tool shed discussions and meetings with my agriculture advisory board in the 13th District to take their concerns to Congress. Much of the time I am working to get Washington out of the way. Working to repeal ridiculous regulations like expanding the Waters of the U..S. (WOTUS), which would have allowed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate water in irrigation ditches and farm ponds.

I was proud to help craft the last long-term Farm Bill to strengthens crop insurance, a key risk management tool for our farmers, and cut nearly $100 billion in spending. As chairman of the Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee, I believe agriculture research at leading universities, like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University, are critical to the future of agriculture and feeding the world.

Agriculture is one of the biggest industries in this 14-county district and the state of Illinois. I continue to be a strong advocate for farmers and agribusiness in Congress.

TRANSPORTATION
We rely on our transportation system to get us where we need to go everyday and to move our products to market. Investing in a 21st Century transportation system is critical to our nation’s economic success. Our international competitors are investing more and more in their transportation infrastructure everyday and we must do the same to remain competitive.

As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have the opportunity to help craft a long-term highway bill, an overhaul of our waterways, and a bill to modernize our airways. I have fought for ways to speed up government approval of projects, increase local control of federal dollars, and utilize public-private partnerships to save taxpayer dollars.

President Trump has committed to investing in infrastructure and I look forward to continuing to work with my Republican and Democrat colleagues to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

VETERANS
Our veterans have given so much for our nation that we cannot even begin to repay them. Ensuring the promises made to them are kept is a responsibly that cannot be taken lightly. Unfortunately, our VA system has failed our veterans in recent years with “secret wait lists,” long wait times, and delayed care. I supported legislation signed into law to hold VA leaders accountable and improve care by allowing veterans who are experiencing long wait times or live long distances from a VA hospital to access private care. Strong oversight over the VA is something I take very seriously.

I co-introduced the WINGMAN Act to give congressional offices more oversight over the VA claims process and the ability to track cases so our veterans are receiving the answers they need and deserve. This bill passed the House unanimously last year, but continues to wait on Senate action.

EDUCATION
As a parent of three children, I understand the need to invest in education and ensure our parents, teachers, and local school administrators remain in control of our children’s education – what works for one school may not work for another. I believe the role of the federal government should be an effective, but limited one.

Unfortunately, another issue our schools continue to deal with is safety and preventing violence. As the survivor of a mass shooting, this is a very personal issue to me. I supported the STOP School Violence Act, which had 407 Republicans and Democrats came together to pass in the House. This provides grants to schools to help them increase security, develop crisis management and threat assessment teams, and improve coordination to help prevent violent actions before they occur. I have also voted to strengthen our background check system and overhaul our mental health system to better help those before it’s too late.

The 13th District is home to roughly 45,000 students attending eight colleges and universities in Central and Southwestern Illinois. With a daughter in college, Rodney understands the importance of college affordability and helping students reduce their debt. He has fought to keep student loan rates low and supported legislation to help students limit the amount they borrow by increasing transparency. Additionally, I introduced legislation to encourage employers to be part of the solution by allowing them to pay toward an employee’s student debt. I fought to maintain so that one day we can ultimately expand these important higher education provisions in tax reform. [27]

—Rodney Davis' campaign website (2020)[28]


Democratic Party Betsy Londrigan

Londrigan’s campaign website stated the following:

ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE
Betsy comes from a family and community of responsible gun owners and knows we must address gun violence as a community by bringing gun owners and non-gun owners together to determine common sense ways to reduce gun violence.

Betsy will work to:

  • Enact and expand universal background checks
  • Address gun violence as a public health issue, by fully funding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study gun violence in our communities
  • Prevent individuals who are mentally ill or have been convicted of violent crimes from purchasing guns and require individuals convicted of domestic violence to surrender their firearms
  • Limit large capacity magazines
  • Support “Red Flag” laws to empower family members and law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily limit a person’s access to guns if that person proves to be a danger to themselves or others

AG ECONOMY & RURAL ILLINOIS
Betsy’s roots in the district go back generations and she knows family farms are the backbone of Central Illinois. Her cousins still own and operate their family farm in Niantic, IL where her grandmother grew up and Betsy wants to ensure our family farms are restored to full health so generational farming can continue to grow and prosper.

Betsy will work to:

  • Defend farmers against market loss due to tariffs on soybeans, corn and pork
  • Invest in modern waterways, roads and railway systems to help move products in Illinois more efficiently
  • Preserve the rights of small family farms to protect their livelihoods when standing up to major agricultural corporations
  • Protect crop insurance to keep our farmers growing
  • Connect rural communities to modern technology outlets through increased investments in broadband and wireless communications
  • Expand funding for agricultural technology and business startups
  • Maintain full funding of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help farmers in Central Illinois improve soil health, build resiliency and promote conservation of land and water

COMBATTING SYSTEMIC RACISM AND POLICE REFORM
Betsy understands that systemic racism exists in every corner of America. She knows we need to rethink our public safety strategies and listen to our Black and Brown communities. Betsy supports serious reform to a clearly broken system and knows we must help local governments ensure their budgets allow for intervention by other professionals, such as those specializing in addiction and mental health services, recognizing that different situations require different interventions.

Betsy will work to:

  • Make federal funding for law enforcement contingent on their implementation of reforms like those aimed at combatting racial profiling and banning the use of chokeholds
  • Ensure local governments budgets can allow mental health and addiction professionals to team with law enforcement for public safety
  • Protect funding programs for programs like Head Start and ESSA; proactively recruit people of color to the teaching profession; address racial bias in student learning environments
  • Identify and address racial bias and barriers in minority-owned small business development while protecting funding for SBA 8(a) business development
  • Address the ongoing health effects of racial inequality, such as the disproportionate death rate of Black mothers during pregnancy
  • Join with private companies and other organizations to ensure their workforce and membership reflect our communities
  • Decrease the militarization of local police departments

COVID-19 RESPONSE
Betsy recognizes that everyone’s lives have been knocked off course by the coronavirus pandemic. She knows our health care, economy and educational system are in dire straits and must work together towards reopening, rebuilding, and moving forward.

Betsy will work to:

  • Provide working families with ongoing financial assistance for basic needs such as food, health care and housing until they can return to work safely
  • Pay our essential workers the hazard pay they’ve earned by continuing to work on the frontlines during the pandemic
  • Invest in our human capital including small-business development, job-training programs and partnerships with educational institutions to prepare workers for shifts in the increasingly digital workplace
  • Help state and local governments and hospitals, which have born the brunt of prevention and treatment costs related to the virus, restore their budgets so they can provide necessary services to residents
  • Support our businesses and schools as they reopen by funding the necessary changes they are making to protect public health
  • Fight inequities in health care, education and employment across racial and socio-economic lines have been highlighted during the pandemic and need to be addressed

EDUCATION
Betsy is a former middle school teacher who knows that a quality education opens doors for better lives. Starting with Pre-K, our children deserve the best public education we can provide through high school and beyond. Whether through an apprenticeship, community college or 4-year university, Betsy wants students of all ages prepared for the changing workforce.

Betsy will work to:

  • Make public colleges and universities more affordable and allow those with crushing student loan debt to refinance
  • Set children up for success by ensuring access to health care, including mental health care and school nutrition
  • Enact universal Pre-K to ensure all children have equal footing as they begin their educational career
  • Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) to meet the needs of every student, no matter their ability level
  • Raise the child tax credit to age 18
  • Raise the cap on employer-provided tuition assistance to help companies cover tuition costs and advanced training for employees
  • Encourage 2-year and 4-year colleges to expand income share agreement programs so students pay for tuition costs through jobs secured post-college
  • Invest in rural broadband expansion so all teachers and students have access to online learning
  • Allow colleges to incorporate “student ambassadors” into their work-study programs to mentor high school seniors through the college application and financial aid process

ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Betsy is committed to getting dark money and special interests out of our political system. She refuses to accept corporate PAC money and will advocate for the working families of Central Illinois, not the special interests. Betsy knows that the right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and voting should be as safe and accessible as possible.

Betsy will work to:

  • Pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United
  • Require dark money groups to disclose their donors
  • Enact safeguards to stop foreign governments from influencing our elections
  • Ensure every American is registered to vote and has access to a vote by mail option

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Betsy knows clean air and clean water are basic human rights -and that we all bear responsibility for reducing the effects of climate change now so we have a habitable world for generations to come.

Betsy will work to:

  • Fight cuts to the EPA so it can enforce important environmental protections
  • Expand clean energy research and development and make new investments in energy-producing communities to ensure the *United States meets the benchmarks laid out in the Paris Climate Accord
  • Invest in safer, cleaner and modern infrastructure to upgrade our electrical grids, waterways, roads and bridges
  • Reduce methane emissions and eradicate lead poisoning by repairing and replacing old, leaky pipes
  • Protect public lands and waterways
  • Maintain full funding of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help farmers improve soil health, build resiliency and promote conservation of land and water

HEALTH CARE
Betsy knows that health care is a right, not a privilege. For Betsy, health care reform is extremely personal. She is all too aware how one medical emergency changes people’s lives. Betsy plans to make sure no family loses someone they love because they can’t get to a doctor, can’t afford their doctor’s visit or medicine, or stand to lose everything they’ve worked for due to one medical emergency or chronic illness.

Betsy will work to:

  • Move toward universal health care coverage by stabilizing and expanding upon the Affordable Care Act through legislation like the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Enhancement Act
  • Lower the cost of prescription drugs through various measures, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices
  • Support a public option designed to compete with private insurers, help drive down costs, and ensure hospitals can maintain high levels of care, starting with rural communities and small businesses
  • Protect the ACA’s Essential Health Benefits such as ensuring that people with pre-existing conditions can’t be discriminated against
  • Strengthen Medicare for our seniors
  • Ensure access to rural hospitals and expand availability of telehealth services

IMMIGRATION
Betsy’s great-grandparents moved to the United States to build better lives. She knows our immigrant community is an important and valuable part of the fabric of our nation and wants to make sure other families have the opportunity to build good lives here for themselves and the generations that follow.

Betsy will work to:

  • Advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that will increase border security while protecting DREAMers by granting permanent residency and a path to citizenship through higher education, military service, or employment
  • Oppose the inhumane treatment of refugees by this administration
  • Reunite families who have been separated at the border

JOBS AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS
As we continue to rebuild and grow our economy, Betsy understands that we have to stay focused on job creation, support for our small businesses, and investments in the future. People want a local economy that their children will want to move back to and create a good life with their families. Betsy knows unions are the backbone of a strong middle class and strongly supports the rights of workers to collectively bargain.

Betsy will work to:

  • Protect the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain
  • Fight for fair wages, ensure workers’ safety, and protect the integrity of apprenticeship programs accredited through unions
  • Invest in upgrading and modernizing infrastructure including: roads, bridges, electrical grids, waterways, broadband and pipeline distribution systems
  • Make small business loans easier to get and increase small businesses’ access to government contracts as well as address barriers to capital for minority-owned small businesses
  • Work to address the affordable housing crisis by investing in the creation and maintenance of affordable housing units
  • Advocate for partnerships between high schools and trade unions to encourage movement toward apprenticeships and trade jobs

TAX REFORM
Betsy knows that our tax system is too complicated and geared toward helping corporations at the expense of working families. She wants tax reform that is aimed at promoting job growth and helping families pay their bills.

Betsy will work to:

  • Reformulate the tax code to help working families instead of corporations and the wealthy
  • Help students incur less costs for higher education and pay off student loans
  • Prevent corporations from hiding profits overseas to avoid paying their taxes
  • Retain deductions and credits for medical expenses, teachers, graduate students, student loans, and other individual breaks needed to help families
  • Incentivize businesses to invest in apprenticeships and job-training programs
  • Help small businesses with cash-flow by simplifying the tax code and lowering rates

VETERANS
Betsy will be a leading voice on behalf of our Veterans, active service members, and their families. She is focused on improving health care for Veterans and ensuring they receive the benefits they have earned in a timely manner and with fewer errors.

Betsy will work to:

  • Strengthen Veterans’ care by expanding mental health services, increasing access to health care in rural areas, and improving care for female Veterans
  • Invest in apprenticeship and training programs as well as business partnerships to ensure job opportunities for Veterans
  • Fight for funding to update and upgrade Veteran care facilities and hospitals and improve Veterans’ services in Illinois communities
  • Advocate for programs to support Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
  • Support the families of Veterans and active military officers

WOMEN AND FAMILIES
Betsy knows that women’s issues are matters of economic and social justice. Betsy will strongly advocate for policies that put women on equal footing and provide pathways to equity.

Betsy will work to:

  • Ensure equal pay for equal work
  • Increase safety in the workplace and on college campuses
  • Enact workplace policies that allow for family leave and flexibility in caring for children and elderly family members
  • Fight for women to determine their own medical decisions without government interference
  • Advocate for health care that treats women’s reproductive health with individual respect and without additional costs
  • Strengthen sexual harassment and abuse policies across all employment sectors, putting victims first and bring transparency to the reporting process

[27]

—Betsy Londrigan’s campaign website (2020)[29]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Eleven of 102 Illinois counties—10.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Alexander County, Illinois 8.30% 13.65% 12.62%
Carroll County, Illinois 26.69% 1.49% 4.81%
Fulton County, Illinois 14.93% 11.04% 21.33%
Henderson County, Illinois 28.43% 12.25% 17.67%
Henry County, Illinois 20.99% 3.08% 7.74%
Jo Daviess County, Illinois 14.64% 1.16% 10.49%
Knox County, Illinois 2.91% 17.37% 19.89%
Mercer County, Illinois 20.36% 7.39% 11.91%
Putnam County, Illinois 19.92% 1.82% 15.64%
Warren County, Illinois 16.50% 5.47% 8.08%
Whiteside County, Illinois 6.18% 17.02% 17.56%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Illinois with 55.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 38.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Illinois voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 50 percent of the time. Illinois voted Democratic in all five elections from 2000 to 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Illinois. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[30][31]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 75 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 39.2 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 76 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 42.1 points. Clinton won 13 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 43 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 15 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 42 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 22.1 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 13th Congressional District candidates in Illinois in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Illinois, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Illinois 13th Congressional District Democratic 748 0.5% of qualified party primary voters in the district N/A N/A 12/2/2019 Source
Illinois 13th Congressional District Republican 788 0.5% of qualified party primary voters in the district N/A N/A 12/2/2019 Source
Illinois 13th Congressional District Unaffiliated Pending 10% of original requirement (by court order) N/A N/A 7/20/2020 Source

District election history

2018

See also: Illinois' 13th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Incumbent Rodney Davis defeated Betsy Londrigan in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rodney Davis
Rodney Davis (R)
 
50.4
 
136,516
Image of Betsy Londrigan
Betsy Londrigan (D) Candidate Connection
 
49.6
 
134,458
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
7

Total votes: 270,981
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Betsy Londrigan defeated Erik Jones, David Gill, Jonathan Ebel, and Angel Sides in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on March 20, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Betsy Londrigan
Betsy Londrigan Candidate Connection
 
45.7
 
24,515
Image of Erik Jones
Erik Jones
 
22.4
 
12,024
Image of David Gill
David Gill
 
14.4
 
7,757
Image of Jonathan Ebel
Jonathan Ebel
 
13.3
 
7,167
Image of Angel Sides
Angel Sides
 
4.2
 
2,237

Total votes: 53,700
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13

Incumbent Rodney Davis advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 13 on March 20, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rodney Davis
Rodney Davis
 
100.0
 
44,512

Total votes: 44,512
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Illinois' 13th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Rodney Davis (R) defeated Mark Wicklund (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Davis defeated Ethan Vandersand in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016.[32][33]

U.S. House, Illinois District 13 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRodney Davis Incumbent 59.7% 187,583
     Democratic Mark Wicklund 40.3% 126,811
Total Votes 314,394
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections


U.S. House, Illinois District 13 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRodney Davis Incumbent 77% 71,447
Ethan Vandersand 23% 21,401
Total Votes 92,848
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

2014

See also: Illinois' 13th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 13th Congressional District of Illinois held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Rodney Davis (R) defeated Ann Callis (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Illinois District 13 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRodney Davis Incumbent 58.7% 123,337
     Democratic Ann Callis 41.3% 86,935
Total Votes 210,272
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections Official Results

2012

On November 6, 2012, Rodney Davis (R) won election to the United States House. He defeated David Gill (D) and John Hartman (I) in the general election.

U.S. House, Illinois District 13 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRodney Davis 46.5% 137,034
     Democratic David Gill 46.2% 136,032
     Independent John Hartman 7.2% 21,319
Total Votes 294,385
Source: Illinois Board of Elections "2012 General Election Official Vote Totals"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Judy Biggert won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Scott Harper (D) in the general election.[34]

U.S. House, Illinois District 13 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJudy Biggert incumbent 64% 149,857
     Democratic Scott Harper 36% 84,290
Total Votes 234,147

State profile

See also: Illinois and Illinois elections, 2020
USA Illinois location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of March 5, 2020.

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

  • Democrats held six of 13 state executive offices. The Illinois Commerce Commission was composed of individuals with different affiliations. Elections for the other six offices were nonpartisan.
  • Illinois' governor was Democrat J.B. Pritzker.

State legislature

Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Illinois quick stats
  • Became a state in 1818
  • 21st state admitted to the United States
  • Illinois' population doubled every 10 years between 1820 and 1860,
    making it one of the fastest-growing places in the world at the time.[35]
  • Members of the Illinois State Senate: 59
  • Members of the Illinois House of Representatives: 118
  • U.S. senators: 2
  • U.S. representatives: 18

More Illinois coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Illinois
 IllinoisU.S.
Total population:12,839,047316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):55,5193,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:72.3%73.6%
Black/African American:14.3%12.6%
Asian:5%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:16.5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:87.9%86.7%
College graduation rate:32.3%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$57,574$53,889
Persons below poverty level:16.8%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Patriot 2020, "Rodney Davis," accessed September 24, 2020
  2. DCCC, "Red to Blue," accessed September 24, 2020
  3. DCCC, "MEMO: DCCC Expands Offensive Battlefield to 39 Districts," August 15, 2019
  4. United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
  5. Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  6. Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  7. Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  8. Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  9. FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  10. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  11. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  12. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  13. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  14. 14.0 14.1 Chicago Tribune, "Editorial: Final choices for the U.S. House," September 30, 2020
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Pantagraph, "OUR VIEW: Davis' experience over Londrigan's enthusiasm," October 23, 2020
  16. 16.0 16.1 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Editorial: We recommend Rep. Rodney Davis for reelection in Illinois' 13th District," October 5, 2020
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Vidette, "Editorial: The Vidette endorses Betsy Dirksen-Londrigan for 13th Congressional District," October 26, 2020
  18. 18.0 18.1 The News-Gazette, "Editorial | Our choices for Congress," October 9, 2020
  19. Facebook, "Betsy Londrigan on July 30, 2020," accessed September 24, 2020
  20. 20.0 20.1 Facebook, "Betsy Londrigan on September 14, 2020," accessed September 24, 2020
  21. Facebook, "Betsy Londrigan on August 3, 2020," accessed September 24, 2020
  22. The Cook Political Report, "2020 House Race Ratings," October 21, 2020
  23. Twitter, "EMILY's List on October 16, 2020," accessed October 20, 2020
  24. Tulchin Research, "IL-13 DCCC IE POLL MEMO," October 9, 2020
  25. U.S. Term Limits, "US Term Limits Survey of 500 Registered Voters in IL-13," August 13, 2020
  26. Federal Election Commission, "Illinois - House District 13," accessed September 24, 2020
  27. 27.0 27.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  28. Rodney Davis' campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed September 24, 2020
  29. Betsy Londrigan’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed September 24, 2020
  30. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  31. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  32. Illinois State Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed November 30, 2015
  33. The New York Times, "Illinois Primary Results," March 15, 2016
  34. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  35. Encyclopedia.com, "Illinois," accessed May 7, 2019


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