Illinois State Senate seat · lines in effect since 2022
Illinois Legislative District 4
A district of about 210,000 people, 23% Hispanic and 45% Black, 31% of adults with a bachelor's degree. It votes D+56.4 relative to the nation for president.
2024 election
Nov 5, 2024- Kimberly Lightford (D) · won76.4%
- Robert Sumrell Jr. (R)23.6%
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 12:13 PM ET
Where it sits among all 59 seats
Every Illinois State Senate seat by partisan lean, from most Democratic to most Republican. Lean is the seat's presidential vote on current lines, relative to the nation.
Democratic
Source: 99chambers: 2024 and 2020 presidential results on current lines, relative to the nation (2024 weighted 3:1)Updated Oct 16, 2026, 5:19 AM ET
Every election for this seat
18 races since 1970. District numbers are redrawn after each census: each group is one set of lines.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Won by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lines first used in 2022 | |||
| 2024 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | Robert Sumrell Jr. (R) | 52.8 |
| 2022 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 2012 | |||
| 2020 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 2016 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 2012 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 2002 | |||
| 2010 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 2006 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | Antoinette Ruback (R) | 77.0 |
| 2002 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | Robert Dallas (R) | 69.4 |
| Lines first used in 1992 | |||
| 1998 | Kimberly Lightford (D) | Randal G. Birkey (R) | 74.5 |
| 1996 | Earlean Collins (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 1992 | Earlean Collins (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 1982 | |||
| 1988 | Dawn Clark Netsch (D) | Kent D. Griffiths (R) | 28.3 |
| 1984 | Dawn Clark Netsch (D) | — | Unopposed |
| 1982 | Dawn Clark Netsch (D) | — | Unopposed |
| Lines first used in 1972 | |||
| 1978 | John J. Nimrod (R) | Samuel S. Berger (D) | 20.1 |
| 1974 | John J. Nimrod (R) | Patton Feichter (D) | 9.8 |
| 1972 | John J. Nimrod (R) | Thomas William Flynn (D) | 26.4 |
| Lines first used in 1962 | |||
| 1970 | John W. Carroll (R) | Alan J. Scheffres (D) | 3.9 |
Won by: the winner's lead over the runner-up, in points of the vote. Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Districts that overlap District 4
The state's districts in other chambers that share residents with this one, and the share of District 4's area in each.
Every race on these lines
Results recomputed from precinct returns as if today's boundaries had always existed, so years compare like for like.
| 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | D+0.7 | No race | D+5.9 |
| U.S. Senate | R+14.3 | No race | D+0.1 |
| Governor | No race | R+16.6 | No race |
Outlined: the race for this seat itselfBlank: no race that year
Source: 99chambers results archive: precinct results allocated to current lines; 2026: civicAPIUpdated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Who lives here, compared
Grey bars show the spread of all 59 seats. Small marks are other seats in Illinois. The black marker is District 4.
Lower than 57% of seats.
Lower than 88% of seats.
Higher than 78% of seats.
Higher than 90% of seats.
Lower than 62% of seats.
Denser than 76% of seats.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, allocated to current linesUpdated Oct 13, 2026, 5:06 AM ET
Seats most like this one
Nearest seats on demographics, density and lean.
District 1627% Hispanic · 46% BlackD+50.2Not up in 2026District 14
46% Black · 30% college gradsD+41.0Held DDistrict 15
49% Black · 25% college gradsD+50.2Held DDistrict 3
21% Hispanic · 48% BlackD+71.3Held D
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, allocated to current lines; 99chambers: 2024 and 2020 presidential results on current lines, relative to the nation (2024 weighted 3:1)Updated Oct 16, 2026, 5:19 AM ET