 "US President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff stand on stage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, US, August 19, 2024. Reuters")
US Vice President Kamala Harris has won the state of Illinois, leading the polls with 54.2 per cent, according to the projection from The Associated Press. Trump is trailing behind with 44.5 per cent votes.
Since its admission to statehood in 1818, the state of Illinois has participated in every US Presidential election. Over the years the state state has lost its electoral influence as its population has not grown with the rest of the country. The 2020 Census marked the fifth consecutive Census where the state has lost at least one electoral vote. In 2020, the state had 20 electorates. This year only 19 electorates from the state will contribute during the presidential race.
An interesting fact about the state of Illinois is that its largest city, Chicago, is touted as a “Convention City”. Fondly called the “Windy City,” Chicago has hosted the most number of conventions in the United States, the 2024 DNC was the 26th one. Interestingly, the first-ever US political convention was also held in Chicago in 1860.
Who are the voters?
According to Pew Research,48 per cent of the registered voters in Illinois lean towards the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, 33 per cent lean towards the Republican Party and 19 per cent are non-affiliated. Here’s what the demography of Illinois looks like.
| ETHNICITY | VOTE SHARE |
|---|---|
| White | 75% |
| Black | 14.7% |
| Asians | 4.4% |
| Latino | 12.2% |
| Native Americans | 0.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 1.9% |
Is it Democrat or Republican?
In recent years, the state of Illinois has been touted as a blue state. It has been consistently voting for Democratic candidates since 1992 when it voted for Bill Clinton over George W. Bush. However, the state underwent the phase of choosing Republican candidates. From 1968 to 1988 the state only voted for GOP candidates. The protests and chaos that erupted in the state during the 1968 DNC and the state’s overall disdain for the Democrats due to the Vietnam War and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., can be seen as some of the reasons why the state remained Red for a while.
However, since 1992, the Democrats have managed to gain a considerable lead in the state with Biden winning 57.54 per cent votes against Trump in the 2020 presidential race.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIs it a swing state?
The state of Illinois is currently touted as the “blue wall” for the Democrats hence, cannot be considered a swing state. However, Illinois had its own phases of picking between Red and Blue. The state was largely Republican from the Civil War through the 1920s. It voted for Democrats throughout the Great Depression and World War II. It then returned to the Republicans for eight out of 10 elections from 1952 through 1988. But Illinois have been voting Blue in recent years and pollsters believe that the trend is likely to change.
Has it given the US a president?
The state of Illinois has given the US only one president and it was none other than the Republican firebrand Ronald Reagan. The Hollywood star-turned-politician was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois.
Historic Election
The chaos that ensued during the 1968 DNC and the police riots that followed in Chicago, made the state of Illinois upset with the Democrats. The state which was left in shambles was hurt by how then-Democratic nominee Hupert Humphry presented himself as the “candidate of joy” amid chaos. The scars of the 1968 police riots were so severe that the state voted Republican for the next 6 elections. It turned blue when Bill Clinton and Macarena stole the show during the 1996 DNC in Chicago.