Illinois Congress Building

The times they are-a-changin’.

The 2020 election cycle in Illinois is officially over (with the exception of a recount in the 68th House District race), and what is obvious is that the state’s political makeup is changing.

The “blue wave” hit Illinois as expected, but failed to carry a number of highly contested State House races. The well-funded House Democrat machine finished with one net loss – a big drop-off from the eight seats they were projected to win.

Regardless, the Democrats won a number of suburban countywide seats in Lake, Kane, Will, and DuPage (flipping DuPage County into Democrat control). These are influential pickups that Democrats will try and ride into the 2022 election when there are three statewide positions up for election.

Quick 2020 Illinois election statistics:

  • 8,364,099 registered voters – an increase of 334,252 from 2016.
  • 6,098,729 ballots cast
  • 72.92% turnout – 2.36% increase from 2016
  • Only 9 out of 102 counties saw a decline in voter participation compared to 2016 1

Important facts going into 2021:

  • Women hold the majority in the House Democrat Caucus
  • 53% of Illinois State House members (Democrat and Republican) were elected or appointed between 2016 and 2020
  • 73% of Illinois Senate members were elected or appointed between 2012 and 2020
  • Despite House Democrats underperforming, Democrats at the County levels were successful. Democrats flipped the DuPage County Board, and won countywide seats in Will and Kane Counties.

These trends are important to monitor as the 2022 election cycle kicks off. I anticipate for Democrats and Republicans to be altering their messaging and tactics to accommodate the ongoing political shifts.

Here is a snapshot of the highly contested races with the official results:

For Illinois Congress results, click here.

For Illinois State Senate results, click here.

For Illinois House of Representative results, click here.

For Graduated Tax and Retain Kilbride results, click here.


1 State Board of Elections

Bio Link David uses a unique and creative approach to meet his clients’ needs and objectives. As a Senior Associate for Michael Best Strategies, he works with his colleagues to identify and implement strategic opportunities that bring valuable solutions, results, and success for his clients. Expertise: Gaming, Transportation, Political Advocacy, and Education