Eric Sorensen (D) and Esther Joy King (R) are running in the general election for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Rep. Cheri Bustos (D) is not running for re-election.
Sorensen worked as a TV meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities area for nearly 20 years, and this is his first run for public office. King, a lawyer and JAG officer in the U.S. Army, was the Republican nominee for the 17th district in 2020. King lost to Bustos 54% to 48%.
Bloomberg Government’s Greg Giroux said, “This race will test the sturdiness of a Democratic gerrymander in an election that’s more likely than not to favor Republicans. Legislators boosted the district’s Democratic leanings after Rep. Cheri Bustos (D) announced her retirement, though Republicans say the reconfigured district—one of 23 nationwide that Biden would have won in 2020 by between 5 and 10 percentage points—is competitive enough for them to flip.”
