Kankakee, Illinois — Presidential Election Results
Kankakee, Illinois has voted Republican in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2012. In 2024, it was 32.3 pts more Rep. than Illinois overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 20,049 | 49.9% | 2.2 pts (869 votes) | 40,183 | — | 14.6 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 24,739 | 54.9% | 10.5 pts (4,736 votes) | 45,036 | -8.4 pts | 21.0 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic | 24,750 | 51.5% | 4.6 pts (2,223 votes) | 48,016 | +15.3 pts | 20.8 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 23,136 | 50.8% | 3.4 pts (1,541 votes) | 45,509 | -8.1 pts | 20.6 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 25,129 | 53.1% | 13.0 pts (6,158 votes) | 47,305 | -10.5 pts | 32.0 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 28,532 | 57.2% | 16.6 pts (8,261 votes) | 49,902 | -3.0 pts | 34.2 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 28,285 | 59.5% | 20.8 pts (9,886 votes) | 47,569 | -4.2 pts | 32.3 pts more Rep. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 103,842 | 38.7% of population |
| 2004 | 106,744 | 42.2% of population |
| 2008 | 112,658 | 42.6% of population |
| 2012 | 112,974 | 40.3% of population |
| 2016 | 111,080 | 42.6% of population |
| 2020 | 107,403 | 46.5% of population |
| 2024 | 106,410 | 44.7% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Kankakee shifted 19.0 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Kankakee has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and Illinois's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Illinois Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Kankakee voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Kankakee has voted Democratic in 1 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 6 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Kankakee?
Kankakee's closest recorded margin was in 2000, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 2.2 points (869 votes) out of 40,183 total votes cast.
Has Kankakee ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Kankakee changed which party won the county in: 2008, 2012, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Kankakee?
The widest margin on record for Kankakee was in 2024, when Donald J Trump (Republican) won by 21.2 points.
How many votes were cast in Kankakee relative to its population?
In 2024, 47,569 votes were recorded in Kankakee against a total population of 106,410 (44.7% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Kankakee a presidential bellwether county?
Kankakee has matched the national popular winner in 5 of the last 7 presidential elections (71%), and Illinois's own statewide winner in 1 of 7 (14%).