Once-competitive river county has shifted sharply toward Republican margins
Kankakee County, anchored by its small industrial city on the river of the same name, has drifted steadily rightward over two decades — its 2024 presidential margin of R+20.8 reflects a broader rural and exurban realignment across downstate Illinois.
Contextual statewide polling for Illinois. County pages stay rooted in county returns, but live statewide polling helps frame the current cycle.