Whiteside County, Illinois
Latest: 2024
Leans Republican — shifted 6.4pp toward Republicans in 2024 — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 80.9% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(9) | 13.3% |
▶Black / African American(4) | 1.3% |
▶Asian(5) | 0.5% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(3) | 0.1% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.4% |
Multiracial / Other | 3.6% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 25.7% | 40.9% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 19.6% | 31.1% |
| Mainline Protestant | 16.7% | 26.6% |
| Other | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Non-religious | 37.2% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+14.7 |
| 2020 | Trump+8.3 |
| 2016 | Trump+6.2 |
| 2012 | Obama+17.0 |
| 2008 | Obama+17.5 |
| 2004 | Kerry+2.8 |
| 2000 | Gore+6.6 |
| 1996 | Clinton+13.1 |
| 1992 | Clinton+8.0 |
Whiteside, Illinois is a county that has a population of 54,947. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+14.7. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 41.6% | 56.3% | R+14.7 | R+6.4 |
| 2020 | 44.7% | 53.0% | R+8.3 | R+2.1 |
| 2016 | 43.1% | 49.3% | R+6.2 | R+23.2 |
| 2012 | 57.4% | 40.5% | D+17.0 | R+0.5 |
| 2008 | 57.8% | 40.3% | D+17.5 | D+14.7 |
| 2004 | 51.1% | 48.2% | D+2.8 | R+3.8 |
| 2000 | 52.3% | 45.6% | D+6.6 | R+6.5 |
| 1996 | 51.0% | 37.9% | D+13.1 | D+5.0 |
| 1992 | 45.4% | 37.4% | D+8.0 | D+14.8 |
| 1988 | 46.3% | 53.1% | R+6.8 | D+12.9 |
| 1984 | 40.0% | 59.6% | R+19.6 | D+19.5 |
| 1980 | 27.6% | 66.7% | R+39.1 | R+27.3 |
| 1976 | 43.5% | 55.3% | R+11.8 | D+25.3 |
| 1972 | 31.3% | 68.4% | R+37.1 | R+8.4 |
| 1968 | 33.1% | 61.9% | R+28.7 | R+27.1 |
| 1964 | 49.2% | 50.8% | R+1.6 | D+29.7 |
| 1960 | 34.3% | 65.6% | R+31.3 | D+16.9 |
| 1956 | 25.9% | 74.1% | R+48.2 | R+1.4 |
| 1952 | 26.4% | 73.3% | R+46.9 | R+5.4 |
| 1948 | 28.8% | 70.3% | R+41.5 | — |
What defines Whiteside?
Whiteside has been trending Republican — 32pp redder over the last 4 presidential cycles. It has a working-class electorate (20% college-educated) — a demographic increasingly aligned with Republicans nationwide.
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.
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2012, Republicans in 2024
- Shifted 31.7 points toward Republicans over the last 4 elections
- Highly elastic — margins have ranged 32.2 points across recent elections, suggesting a volatile electorate
Located In
Whiteside sits inside these higher-level geographies.