You've probably heard the shorthand version by now. Illinois stayed blue, Kamala Harris took the electoral votes, and the status quo remains entrenched in Springfield. It’s a clean narrative. It’s also kinda lazy.
If you actually look at the 2024 Illinois election results, the data tells a much more chaotic story than just "blue state does blue state things." We saw a massive red shift in places you wouldn't expect, a historic dip in voter turnout, and a weirdly specific series of "secession" votes in the south that feel like they're from a different century.
Honestly, the "blue wall" in Illinois has some pretty visible cracks.
The Presidential Numbers and the "Chicago Chill"
Let's talk about Kamala Harris. She won Illinois with roughly 54.4% of the vote, while Donald Trump pulled about 43.5%. On paper, an 11-point win is solid. But compare that to 2020. Joe Biden carried the state by 17 points. That is a massive 6-point swing in just four years.
Why did this happen? It wasn't just downstate farmers turning out in droves. The real story is Cook County. Harris received about 300,000 fewer votes in Cook County than Biden did.
Think about that.
The engine of Democratic politics in the Midwest just... slowed down. Whether it was "inflation fatigue" or a lack of enthusiasm, the 2024 Illinois election results show that the Democratic base in Chicago didn't show up the way it usually does. Meanwhile, Trump actually grew his raw vote totals in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. He didn't win them—obviously—but he moved the needle.
🔗 Read more: Donald Trump: Why He Is Currently the Most Powerful Leader in the World
Turnout Took a Nosedive
Total turnout was about 70.4%. Now, in some states, that's high. In Illinois? It’s the fourth lowest in nearly 50 years for a presidential cycle. People were tired. You could feel it in the air months before November. Basically, the "enthusiasm gap" wasn't just a talking point; it was a mathematical reality that nearly narrowed a "safe" state into a "leaning" one.
Congress and the Power of the Map
If the top of the ticket was a bit of a nail-biter for Democrats, the Congressional races were a total snooze-fest. All 17 incumbents kept their seats.
- Democrats: 14 seats
- Republicans: 3 seats
It’s almost impressive how static those numbers are. Professor Sheldon Jacobson from the University of Illinois pointed out that this is basically the "bad outcome" of aggressive gerrymandering. When you draw maps so precisely that no one can lose, the actual election becomes a formality.
Eric Sorensen in the 17th District (the Quad Cities area) was supposed to be in a "toss-up" race against Joe McGraw. He won by nearly 9 points. In the 13th, Nikki Budzinski was also expected to have a tighter fight, but she cruised to a comfortable victory. Basically, if you were already in D.C., you stayed in D.C.
Springfield Stays Super-Sized
Down in the General Assembly, Governor J.B. Pritzker still has his supermajorities. This is a huge deal because it means the Democrats can basically pass whatever they want without needing a single Republican vote.
They held onto 40 seats in the Senate (you only need 36 for a supermajority) and 77-ish in the House (71 needed). Even with the "red shift" at the presidential level, the local GOP couldn't break the Democratic lock on the statehouse.
The Weird Stuff: Millionaires and Moving States
The most fascinating part of the 2024 Illinois election results wasn't the people, it was the "advisory questions." These are basically the state's way of asking, "Hey, would you be mad if we did this?"
- The Millionaire Tax: 60% of voters said "Yes" to a 3% extra tax on income over $1,000,000 to help with property tax relief. People hate property taxes in this state. Like, really hate them.
- IVF Coverage: A whopping 72% of voters want insurance plans to cover things like in vitro fertilization. This was a massive blowout.
- Election Worker Protection: Nearly 89% of people agreed that candidates who mess with election workers should face civil penalties. It turns out, almost everyone agrees that harassing the people counting the votes is a bad move.
The "New State" Movement
Then there’s the secession thing. Seven more counties—including Madison, which is actually pretty populous—voted in favor of exploring the idea of leaving Illinois to form a new state or join another one.
Is it going to happen? No. It requires permission from the Illinois legislature (never happening) and Congress (also never happening). But it’s a loud, symbolic middle finger to Chicago-centric politics. In counties like Calhoun and Iroquois, over 70% of people voted "Yes" to seceding. That’s not a fringe movement anymore; it’s a regional consensus.
Why the 2024 Results Still Matter
So, what’s the takeaway? If you’re a Democrat, you’ve got a turnout problem. You can’t rely on "being not the other guy" forever if your voters just stay home. If you’re a Republican, you’ve got a geography problem. You're winning more hearts and minds in the suburbs, but the maps are so tilted against you that it doesn't translate into seats in Springfield or D.C.
The 2024 Illinois election results prove that Illinois is a blue state with a very frustrated, very purple interior.
👉 See also: The Purpose of the 2nd Amendment: Why It Exists and What Most People Get Wrong
Actionable Insights for Illinoisans
- Watch the Tax Legislation: Since the millionaire tax advisory passed so strongly, expect Pritzker and the General Assembly to move on this in 2026. If you're in that bracket, talk to a tax professional now.
- Property Tax Relief: If that tax passes, there should be a mechanism for property tax rebates. Keep your residency documents updated and monitor your local assessor’s office.
- Voter Registration: Given the low turnout, expect a massive push for "Automatic Voter Registration" (AVR) updates. Double-check your registration status on the Illinois State Board of Elections website before the next local cycle.
- Judicial Awareness: Most judges were retained this year, but several had "Not Recommended" ratings from bar associations. Use resources like Injustice Watch for the next cycle to ensure you aren't just voting "Yes" by default.
Start by looking up your specific precinct's data. You might be surprised to find that your "blue" neighborhood actually voted significantly more conservative than it did four years ago—or vice versa. Knowing the ground-level data is the only way to understand where the state is actually heading.