Illinois is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections and one of the "big three" Democratic states alongside California and New York. It is considered one of the most Democratic states in the nation in presidential contests. 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 the majority 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 to trend Democratic while downstate Illinois can be considered more conservative.
Illinois' electoral college votes have gone towards the Democratic presidential candidate for the past seven elections, and its congressional makeup tilts heavily Democratic. However, it has a long history of competitive statewide elections and has elected a number of Republicans in recent years, including Governors Jim Edgar, George Ryan, and Bruce Rauner, Senators Peter Fitzgerald and Mark Kirk, and other state executive officeholders such as 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
The parties are as follows: Adams (A), Democratic (D), Democratic-Republican (DR), Independent (I), Jacksonian (J), National Union (NU), Republican (R), and a tie or coalition within a group of elected officials.