Illinois

Illinois became a state in December 1818. Largely Republican from the Civil War through the 1920s, the state voted Democratic throughout the Great Depression and World War II, then returned to the Republicans for eight out of 10 elections from 1952 through 1988. Illinois has voted Democratic in the last eight elections. In 2020, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 17%.

With 19 electoral votes as of 2024, the state is the largest electoral prize in the Midwest, although nearby Ohio, with 17, gets considerably more visibility in the general election as it has - until recently - been a presidential bellwether. Like many other northern industrial states, Illinois has lost 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.