Clay County, Illinois
Latest: 2024
Safe Republican — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(11) | 94.8% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(4) | 2.0% |
▶Black / African American(1) | 0.3% |
▶Asian(2) | 0.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(1) | 0.2% |
Native American / Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.5% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 53.5% | 75.3% |
| Catholic | 9.7% | 13.7% |
| Mainline Protestant | 7.5% | 10.6% |
| Black Protestant | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Non-religious | 28.9% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+67.3 |
| 2020 | Trump+65.2 |
| 2016 | Trump+63.0 |
| 2012 | Romney+44.1 |
| 2008 | McCain+23.2 |
| 2004 | Bush+35.3 |
| 2000 | Bush+25.9 |
| 1996 | Clinton+0.8 |
| 1992 | Clinton+7.4 |
Clay, Illinois is a county that has a population of 13,052. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+67.3. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15.6% | 82.9% | R+67.3 | R+2.1 |
| 2020 | 16.4% | 81.6% | R+65.2 | R+2.2 |
| 2016 | 16.1% | 79.1% | R+63.0 | R+18.9 |
| 2012 | 26.8% | 70.9% | R+44.1 | R+20.9 |
| 2008 | 37.5% | 60.7% | R+23.2 | D+12.1 |
| 2004 | 32.1% | 67.4% | R+35.3 | R+9.4 |
| 2000 | 36.4% | 62.3% | R+25.9 | R+26.7 |
| 1996 | 44.2% | 43.4% | D+0.8 | R+6.6 |
| 1992 | 44.5% | 37.1% | D+7.4 | D+19.1 |
| 1988 | 44.0% | 55.6% | R+11.7 | D+17.0 |
| 1984 | 35.5% | 64.2% | R+28.7 | R+3.1 |
| 1980 | 35.6% | 61.2% | R+25.6 | R+25.3 |
| 1976 | 49.6% | 49.9% | R+0.3 | D+29.7 |
| 1972 | 34.9% | 64.9% | R+30.0 | R+10.5 |
| 1968 | 36.0% | 55.5% | R+19.4 | R+30.2 |
| 1964 | 55.4% | 44.6% | D+10.8 | D+31.2 |
| 1960 | 39.8% | 60.1% | R+20.4 | R+2.6 |
| 1956 | 41.1% | 58.9% | R+17.8 | D+3.1 |
| 1952 | 39.4% | 60.4% | R+20.9 | R+12.2 |
| 1948 | 44.5% | 53.2% | R+8.8 | — |
What defines Clay?
Clay has been trending Republican — 23pp redder over the last 4 presidential cycles. It has a working-class, predominantly white electorate — strong Republican base territory.
County in State Context
Current Illinois Polling
Contextual statewide polling for Illinois. County pages stay rooted in county returns, but live statewide polling helps frame the current cycle.
2026 Illinois Senate Democratic Primary
Raja Krishnamoorthi leads at 32.1%
7 pollsMedium
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Explore this county's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Republican in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Republican landslide with a 67.3% margin
- Shifted 23.2 points toward Republicans over the last 4 elections
Located In
Clay sits inside these higher-level geographies.