Cook County, Illinois
Latest: 2024
Safe Democratic — shifted 8.7pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 40.1% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(20) | 26.8% |
▶Black / African American(15) | 22.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 7.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(11) | 1.6% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(2) | 0.9% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.1% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 28.9% | 53.2% |
| Other | 8.9% | 16.4% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 7.4% | 13.6% |
| Black Protestant | 5.4% | 10.0% |
| Mainline Protestant | 2.9% | 5.4% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.8% | 1.4% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Non-religious | 45.8% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+41.5 |
| 2020 | Biden+50.2 |
| 2016 | Clinton+53.1 |
| 2012 | Obama+49.3 |
| 2008 | Obama+53.4 |
| 2004 | Kerry+41.1 |
| 2000 | Gore+40.2 |
| 1996 | Clinton+40.1 |
| 1992 | Clinton+30.0 |
Cook, Illinois is a county that has a population of 5,182,090. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+41.5. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69.6% | 28.1% | D+41.5 | R+8.7 |
| 2020 | 74.2% | 24.0% | D+50.2 | R+2.9 |
| 2016 | 73.9% | 20.8% | D+53.1 | D+3.9 |
| 2012 | 73.9% | 24.6% | D+49.3 | R+4.1 |
| 2008 | 76.2% | 22.8% | D+53.4 | D+12.3 |
| 2004 | 70.2% | 29.1% | D+41.1 | D+0.9 |
| 2000 | 69.0% | 28.8% | D+40.2 | D+0.1 |
| 1996 | 66.8% | 26.7% | D+40.1 | D+10.1 |
| 1992 | 58.2% | 28.2% | D+30.0 | D+17.6 |
| 1988 | 55.8% | 43.4% | D+12.4 | D+9.8 |
| 1984 | 51.0% | 48.4% | D+2.6 | R+9.8 |
| 1980 | 52.0% | 39.6% | D+12.4 | D+3.6 |
| 1976 | 53.4% | 44.7% | D+8.8 | D+16.1 |
| 1972 | 46.0% | 53.4% | R+7.4 | R+16.9 |
| 1968 | 50.6% | 41.1% | D+9.4 | R+16.9 |
| 1964 | 63.2% | 36.8% | D+26.4 | D+13.3 |
| 1960 | 56.4% | 43.3% | D+13.0 | D+27.1 |
| 1956 | 42.9% | 57.1% | R+14.1 | R+13.4 |
| 1952 | 49.5% | 50.2% | R+0.7 | R+9.6 |
| 1948 | 54.2% | 45.2% | D+8.9 | — |
What defines Cook?
It has a heavily immigrant community where nativity and ethnic networks shape the political landscape. Voter engagement runs low — in the bottom 15% of peers for turnout in 2024.
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
Field Preview
Ask the Historian
Explore this county's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Democratic landslide with a 41.5% margin
- Turnout of 51.9% in 2024 ranked 102 of 102 in the state — bottom quartile
Located In
Cook sits inside these higher-level geographies.