Political party strength in Illinois explained

Illinois is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections and one of the "Big Three" Democratic strongholds alongside California and New York. It is one of the most Democratic states in the nation with all state executive offices and both state legislative branches held by Democrats.[1] [2] For most of its history, Illinois was widely considered to be a swing state, voting for the winner of all but two presidential elections in the 20th century. Political party strength in Illinois is highly dependent upon Cook County, and the state's reputation as a blue state rests upon the fact that over 40% of its population and political power is concentrated in Chicago, Cook County, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Outside of Chicago, the suburban collar counties continue trending Democratic[3] while downstate Illinois can be considered more conservative with several Democratic leaning regions including Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Rockford, Peoria, the Quad Cities, and suburban St. Louis.[4]

Illinois's electoral college votes have gone towards the Democratic presidential candidate for the past eight elections, and its congressional makeup tilts heavily Democratic with a 14-3 majority as of . However, it has a history of competitive statewide elections and has elected a small number of moderate Republicans including Governors Jim Edgar, George Ryan, and Bruce Rauner, Senators Peter Fitzgerald and Mark Kirk, and other state executive officeholders including Judy Baar Topinka and Dan Rutherford.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Illinois:

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

Table

YearExecutive officesGeneral AssemblyUnited States CongressElectoral
votes
class=unsortable Governor!class=unsortable Lt. Governor!class=unsortable Sec. of State!class=unsortable Attorney
General
!
class=unsortable Comptroller/
Auditor!
class=unsortable Treasurer!class=unsortable State
Senate
!
class=unsortable State
House
!
class=unsortable U.S. Senator
(Class II)
!
class=unsortable U.S. Senator
(Class III)
!
class=unsortable U.S.
House
1809Ninian Edwards (DR)Nathaniel Pope (DR)
1810
1811
1812H. H. MaxwellShadrach Bond (DR)
1813
1814vacant
1815Benjamin
Stephenson
(DR)
1816Daniel Pope Cook (DR)
1817Joseph Phillips (DR)Robert BlackwellNathaniel Pope (DR)
1818Elijah C. Berry (DR)
Shadrach Bond (DR)Pierre Menard (DR)Elias Kane (DR)Daniel Pope Cook (DR)John Thomas (DR)DR majorityDR majorityJesse B. Thomas (DR)Ninian Edwards (DR)John McLean (DR)
1819William Mears (DR)R. K. McLaughlin (DR)DR majorityDR majorityDaniel Pope
Cook
(DR)
1820Monroe/
Tompkins (DR)
1821Samuel D. Lockwood (DR)DR majorityDR majority
1822Samuel D. Lockwood (DR)James Turney (DR)
1823Edward Coles (DR)Adolphus Hubbard (DR)David Blackwell (DR)Abner Field (DR)DR majorityDR majority
18242 – Jackson/
Calhoun (DR)
1 – Adams/
Calhoun (DR)
Morris Birkbeck (DR)John McLean (DR)
1825George Forquer (DR)DR majorityDR majorityJesse B. Thomas (NR)Elias Kane (J)Daniel Pope
Cook
(NR)
1826Elijah C. Berry (D)D majorityD majority
1827Ninian Edwards (DR)William Kinney (DR)James Hall (D)D majorityD majorityJoseph Duncan (J)
1828Jackson/
Calhoun (D)
1829Alexander Pope Field (D)George Forquer (D)D majorityD majorityJohn McLean (J)
1830
David J. Baker (J)
1831John Reynolds (D)Zadok Casey (D)James T. B. Stapp (D)John Dement (D)D majorityD majorityJohn M. Robinson (J)
1832Jackson/
Van Buren (D)
1833James Semple (D)D majorityD majority3J
William Lee D. Ewing (D)
1834Ninian Wirt Edwards (D)
W. L. D. Ewing (D)vacant
1835Joseph Duncan (D)Alexander M. Jenkins (D)Jesse B. Thomas Jr. (D)Levi Davis (W)D majorityD majority
1836Walter B. Scates (D)Charles Gregory (D)W. L. D. Ewing (J)Van Buren/
Johnson (D)
1837William H. Davidson (D)Usher F. Linder (D)John D. Whiteside (D)22D, 18W57D, 24W, 10?John M. Robinson (D)Richard M. Young (D)3D
1838George W. Olney (D)
1839Thomas Carlin (D)Stinson Anderson (D)Wickliffe Kitchell (D)20D, 20W46W, 40D, 5I2D, 1W
1840Josiah Lamborn (D)Van Buren/
Johnson (D)
Stephen Douglas (D)
1841Lyman Trumbull (D)James Shields (D)Milton Carpenter (D)26D, 14W51D, 40WSamuel McRoberts (D)1D, 1ID, 1W
1842
1843Thomas Ford (D)John Moore (D)Thompson Campbell (D)James A. McDougall (D)W. L. D. Ewing (D)30D, 12W84D, 37WSidney Breese (D)6D, 1W
James Semple (D)
1844Polk/
Dallas (D)
184526D, 15W78D, 40W, 3?
1846David B. Campbell (D)Thomas H. Campbell (D)
1847Augustus C. French (D)Joseph Wells (D)Horace S. Cooley (D)29D, 12W76D, 44W, 3?Stephen Douglas (D)
1848office abolished 1848–1867John Moore (D)Cass/
Butler (D)
1849William McMurtry (D)17D, 7W, 1?54D, 21WJames Shields (D)
1850David L. Gregg (D)
185117D, 8W46D, 29W
1852Pierce/
King (D)
1853Joel Aldrich Matteson (D)Gustav Koerner (D)Alexander Starne (D)20D, 5W56D, 18W, 1FS5D, 4W
1854
185514D, 11W41W, 34DLyman Trumbull (D)5D, 2O, 2R
1856Buchanan/
Breckinridge (D)
1857William Henry Bissell (R)John Wood (R)Ozias M. Hatch (R)Jesse K. Dubois (R)James Miller (R)13D, 12R55D, 30RLyman Trumbull (R)5D, 4R
1858
185914D, 11R40D, 35R
1860Lincoln/
Hamlin (R)
John Wood (R)Thomas Marshall (D)
1861Richard Yates (R)Francis Hoffmann (R)William Butler (R)13R, 12D41R, 34D
Orville H. Browning (R)
1862
1863Alexander Starne (D)13D, 12R55D, 30RWilliam Richardson (D)9D, 5R
1864Lincoln/
Johnson (NU)
1865Richard J. Oglesby (R)William Bross (R)Sharon Tyndale (R)Orlin H. Miner (R)James H. Beveridge (R)14R, 11D51R, 34DRichard Yates (R)11R, 3D
1866
1867Robert G. Ingersoll (R)George W. Smith (R)16R, 9D60R, 25D
1868Grant/
Colfax (R)
1869John M. Palmer (R)John Dougherty (R)Edward Rummel (R)Washington Bushnell (R)Charles E. Lippincott (R)Erastus Newton Bates (R)18R, 7D58R, 27D10R, 4D
1870
187130R, 20D98R, 76D, 1IJohn A. Logan (R)Lyman Trumbull (LR)8R, 6D
1872Grant/
Wilson (R)
1873Richard J. Oglesby (R)John Lourie Beveridge (R)George H. Harlow (R)James K. Edsall (R)Edward Rutz (R)33R, 18D86R, 67DRichard J. Oglesby (R)14R, 5D
John Lourie Beveridge (R)John Early (R)
1874
1875Archibald A. Glenn (D)Thomas S. Ridgway (R)24R, 18D, 9I69R, 42D, 41I10D, 7R, 2I
187611D, 6R, 2IHayes/
Wheeler (R)
1877Shelby M. Cullom (R)Andrew Shuman (R)Thomas B. Needles (R)Edward Rutz (R)22D, 21R, 8I79R, 67D, 7IDavid Davis (I)12R, 7D
1878
1879John C. Smith (R)26R, 24D, 1I80R, 60D, 10GB, 3SocJohn A. Logan (R)12R, 6D, 1GB
1880Garfield/
Arthur (R)
1881John Marshall Hamilton (R)Henry D. Dement (R)James McCartney (R)Charles Philip Swigert (R)Edward Rutz (R)32R, 18D, 1Soc82R, 71D13R, 6D
1882
1883John Marshall Hamilton (R)William James Campbell (R)John C. Smith (R)31R, 20D77R, 75D, 1IShelby M. Cullom (R)11R, 8D, 1ID
1884Blaine/
Logan (R)
1885Richard J. Oglesby (R)John C. Smith (R)George Hunt (R)Jacob Gross (R)26R, 25D76D, 76R, 1I10D, 10R
1886
1887John R. Tanner (R)33R, 18D92R, 61DCharles B. Farwell (R)14R, 6D
1888Harrison/
Morton (R)
1889Joseph W. Fifer (R)Lyman Beecher Ray (R)Isaac N. Pearson (R)Charles W. Pavey (R)Charles Becker (R)33R, 18D92R, 61D13R, 7D
1890
1891Edward S. Wilson (D)27R, 24D77D, 73R, 3FAJohn M. Palmer (D)14D, 6R
1892Cleveland/
Stevenson (D)
1893John Peter Altgeld (D)Joseph B. Gill (D)William H. Hinrichsen (D)Maurice T. Moloney (D)David Gore (D)Rufus N. Ramsay (D)29D, 22R78D, 75R11D, 11R
1894
1895Henry Wulff (R)33R, 18D92R, 61D20R, 2D
189622RMcKinley/
Hobart (R)
1897John R. Tanner (R)William Northcott (R)James A. Rose (R)Edward C. Akin (R)James S. McCullough (R)Henry L. Hertz (R)39R, 11D, 1Pop89R, 62D, 2PopWilliam E. Mason (R)17R, 5D
1898
1899Floyd K. Whittlemore (R)34R, 16D, 1Pop81R, 71D, 1Proh14R, 8D
1900McKinley/
Roosevelt (R)
1901Richard Yates Jr. (R)Howland J. Hamlin (R)Moses O. Williamson (R)32R, 19D81R, 72D11D, 11R
1902
1903Fred A. Busse (R)36R, 15D88R, 62D, 2, 1ProhAlbert J. Hopkins (R)17R, 8D
1904Roosevelt/
Fairbanks (R)
1905Charles S. Deneen (R)Lawrence Y. Sherman (R)William H. Stead (R)Len Small (R)41R, 10D91R, 57D, 3Proh, 2Soc24R, 1D
1906
1907John F. Smulski (R)44R, 7D90R, 60D, 3Proh20R, 5D
1908Taft/
Sherman (R)
1909John G. Oglesby (R)Andrew Russel (R)38R, 13D88R, 65DWilliam Lorimer (R)19R, 6D
1910
1911Edward E. Mitchell (R)34R, 17D82R, 68D, 2I, 1Proh14R, 11D
1912Cornelius Doyle (R)Wilson/
Marshall (D)
1913Edward F. Dunne (D)Barratt O'Hara (D)Harry Woods (D)Patrick J. Lucey (D)James J. Brady (D)William F. Ryan Jr. (D)25R, 24D, 2Prog71D, 52R, 27Prog, 3SocJ. Hamilton Lewis (D)Lawrence Y. Sherman (R)20D, 5R, 2Prog
1914
1915Lewis Stevenson (D)Andrew Russel (R)25D, 25R, 1Prog79R, 70D, 2Soc, 1I, 1Prog16R, 10D, 1Prog
1916Hughes/
Fairbanks (R)
1917Frank O. Lowden (R)John G. Oglesby (R)Louis L. Emmerson (R)Edward Brundage (R)Andrew Russel (R)Len Small (R) 33R, 18D85R, 67D, 1I21R, 6D
1918
1919Fred E. Sterling (R) 34R, 17D90R, 63DMedill McCormick (R)22R, 5D
1920Harding/
Coolidge (R)
1921Len Small (R)Fred E. Sterling (R)Edward E. Miller (R) 43R, 8D95R, 58DWilliam B. McKinley (R)24R, 3D
1922
1923Oscar Nelson (R) 42R, 9D89R, 63D, 1I20R, 7D
1924Coolidge/
Dawes (R)
1925Oscar E. Carlstrom (R)Oscar Nelson (R)Omer N. Custer (R)38R, 13D94R, 59DCharles S. Deneen (R)22R, 5D
1926
1927Garrett D. Kinney (R)41R, 10D93R, 60Dvacant20R, 7D
1928Otis F. Glenn (R)Hoover/
Curtis (R)
1929Louis L. Emmerson (R)William J. Stratton (R)Omer N. Custer (R)40R, 11D91R, 62D21R, 6D
1930
1931Edward Barrett (D)33R, 18D81R, 72DJ. Hamilton Lewis (D)15R, 12D
193214R, 13DRoosevelt/
Garner (D)
1933Henry Horner (D)Thomas Donovan (D)Edward J. Hughes (D)Otto Kerner Sr. (D)Edward Barrett (D)John C. Martin (D)33D, 18R80D, 73RWilliam H. Dieterich (D)19D, 8R
1934
1935John H. Stelle (D)35D, 16R84D, 69R21D, 6R
1936
1937John H. Stelle (D)John C. Martin (D)34D, 17R86D, 67R
1938
1939John E. Cassidy (D)Louie E. Lewis (D)30D, 21R80R, 73DScott W. Lucas (D)17D, 10R
1940James M. Slattery (D)
John H. Stelle (D)vacantC. Wayland Brooks (R)Roosevelt/
Wallace (D)
1941Dwight H. Green (R)Hugh W. Cross (R)George F. Barrett (R) Arthur C. Lueder (R)Warren Wright (R)28R, 23D79R, 74D16R, 11D
1942
1943William Stratton (R)84R, 69D19R, 7D
1944Richard Y. Rowe (R)Roosevelt/
Truman (D)
1945Edward Barrett (D)Conrad F. Becker (R)34R, 17D78R, 75D15R, 11D
1946
1947Richard Y. Rowe (R)37R, 14D87R, 66D20R, 6D
1948Truman/
Barkley (D)
1949Adlai Stevenson II (D)Sherwood Dixon (D)Ivan A. Elliott (D) Benjamin O. Cooper (D)Ora Smith (D)33R, 18D79D, 74RPaul Douglas (D)14R, 12D
1950
1951William Stratton (R)31R, 27D84R, 69DEverett Dirksen (R)18R, 8D
1952Eisenhower/
Nixon (R)
1953William Stratton (R)John William Chapman (R)Charles F. Carpentier (R)Latham Castle (R)Orville Hodge (R)Elmer J. Hoffman (R)38R, 13D16R, 9D
1954
1955Warren Wright (R)32R, 19D79R, 74D13R, 12D
1956Lloyd Morey (R)
1957Elbert S. Smith (R)Elmer J. Hoffman (R)38R, 20D94R, 83D14R, 11D
1958
1959Grenville Beardsley (R)Joseph D. Lohman (D)34R, 24D92D, 85R14D, 11R
1960William L. Guild (R)Kennedy/
Johnson (D)
1961Otto Kerner Jr. (D)Samuel H. Shapiro (D)William G. Clark (D)Michael Howlett (D) 31R, 27D89R, 88D
1962Francis S. Lorenz (D)
1963William J. Scott (R)35R, 23D90R, 87D12D, 12R
1964William H. Chamberlain (D)Johnson/
Humphrey (D)
1965Paul Powell (D)33R, 25D118D, 59R13D, 11R
1966
1967Adlai Stevenson III (D)38R, 20D99R, 78DCharles H. Percy (R)12D, 12R
1968Nixon/
Agnew (R)
Samuel H. Shapiro (D)vacant
1969Richard B. Ogilvie (R)Paul Simon (D)William J. Scott (R)94R, 83D
Ralph T. Smith (R)
1970
1971John W. Lewis Jr. (R)Alan J. Dixon (D)29D, 29R90R, 87DAdlai Stevenson III (D)
1972
1973Dan Walker (D)Neil Hartigan (D)Michael Howlett (D)George W. Lindberg (R)30R, 29D92R, 84D, 1I14R, 10D
1974
197534D, 25R98D, 76R, 3I13D, 11R
1976Ford/
Dole (R)
1977James R. Thompson (R)Dave O'Neal (R)Alan J. Dixon (D)Michael Bakalis (D)Donald R. Smith (R)93D, 83R, 1I12D, 12R
1978
1979Roland Burris (D)Jerome Cosentino (D)32D, 27R88D, 88R, 1I13R, 11D
1980Tyrone C. Fahner (R)14R, 10DReagan/
Bush (R)
198130D, 29R91R, 85D, 1IAlan J. Dixon (D)
vacantJim Edgar (R)
1982
1983George Ryan (R)Neil Hartigan (D)James Donnewald (D)33D, 26R70D, 48R12D, 10R
1984
198531D, 28R67D, 51RPaul Simon (D)13D, 9R
1986
1987Jerome Cosentino (D)
1988Bush/
Quayle (R)
198968D, 50R14D, 8R
1990
1991Jim Edgar (R)Bob Kustra (R)George Ryan (R)Roland Burris (D)Dawn Clark Netsch (D)Pat Quinn (D)72D, 46R15D, 7R
1992Clinton/
Gore (D)
199332R, 27D67D, 51RCarol Moseley Braun (D)12D, 8R
1994
1995Jim Ryan (R)Loleta Didrickson (R)Judy Baar Topinka (R)33R, 26D64R, 54D10D, 10R
1996
199731R, 28D60D, 58RDick Durbin (D)
1998
vacant
1999George Ryan (R)Corinne Wood (R)Jesse White (D)Daniel Hynes (D)32R, 27D62D, 56RPeter Fitzgerald (R)
2000Gore/
Lieberman (D)
2001
2002
2003Rod Blagojevich (D)Pat Quinn (D)Lisa Madigan (D)32D, 26R, 1I66D, 52R10R, 9D
2004Kerry/
Edwards (D)
200531D, 27R, 1I65D, 53RBarack Obama (D)10D, 9R
2006
2007Alexi Giannoulias (D)37D, 22R66D, 52R
10D, 8R
200867D, 51RObama/
Biden (D)
11D, 8R
2009Pat Quinn (D)vacant70D, 48RRoland Burris (D)12D, 7R
2010
2011Sheila Simon (D)Judy Baar Topinka (R)Dan Rutherford (R)35D, 24R64D, 54RMark Kirk (R)11R, 8D
2012
2013 rowspan=240D, 19R rowspan=471D, 47R rowspan=212D, 6R
2014
2015 rowspan=4Bruce Rauner (R) rowspan=4Evelyn Sanguinetti (R) rowspan=2Leslie Munger (R)Mike Frerichs (D) rowspan=239D, 20R rowspan=210D, 8R
2016Clinton/
Kaine (D)
2017Susana Mendoza (D)37D, 22R67D, 51RTammy Duckworth (D)11D, 7R
2018
2019J. B. Pritzker (D)Juliana Stratton (D)Kwame Raoul (D)40D, 19R74D, 44R13D, 5R
2020Biden/
Harris (D)
202141D, 18R73D, 45R
2022
2023Alexi Giannoulias (D)40D, 19R78D, 40R14D, 3R
2024

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. News: O'connor . John . Gov. Pritzker gives Democrats near-record power in Illinois . 15 January 2019 . AP NEWS . 14 January 2019.
  2. Web site: Illinois: The Most Democratic State. 2021-06-21. NBC Chicago. en-US.
  3. News: Baker . Suzanne . How a blue wave rolled through historically Republican Naperville, leaving the GOP in its wake . 3 September 2021 . chicagotribune.com.
  4. News: Smith . Katlyn . Democrats gain ground in once solidly red DuPage County . 9 November 2020 . Daily Herald . 4 November 2020.