state senate districtIllinois 42nd State Senate District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+5.0
2008D+17.7
2012D+8.1
2016D+19.4
2020D+25.6
2024D+21.0
net swing · 2004→2024D+26.0R+5.0 → D+21.0
vs. U.S. · 2024D+22.5D+21.0 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 66.6% of 145,569 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
57,572
37,185
2,235
96,992
145,569
66.6%
2020
62,950
36,843
2,205
101,998
143,977†
70.8%
2016
49,192
32,156
6,497
87,845
137,771†
63.8%
2012
41,884
35,528
1,372
78,784
131,154†
60.1%
2008
47,726
33,218
1,046
81,990
125,634†
65.3%
2004
32,054
35,441
356
67,851
120,114†
56.5%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupIL SD 42IllinoisUnited States
German17.8%16.1%12.5%
Irish11.9%10.6%9.4%
Italian8.3%5.4%4.8%
Polish8.1%6.0%2.2%
English6.5%6.9%9.5%
American2.6%3.3%5.3%
Swedish2.2%1.5%—
French1.4%0.7%1.6%
Mexican18.0%14.4%11.3%
Puerto Rican1.4%1.7%1.8%
Colombian0.3%0.3%0.4%
Guatemalan0.3%0.3%0.5%
Spanish0.3%——
Cuban0.3%0.2%0.7%
Salvadoran0.2%—0.7%
Asian Indian4.7%2.1%1.4%
Filipino2.0%1.0%0.9%
Chinese1.1%1.0%1.3%
Pakistani0.9%0.3%—
Korean0.5%0.4%0.4%
Laotian0.3%——
African American†7.7%12.1%9.9%
Nigerian0.3%0.3%0.2%
African0.3%0.5%0.5%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
IL SD 42
Illinois
United States
Median age
37.5
39.1
39.1
Age 18–24
8.8%
9.1%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
15.6%
16.9%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
IL SD 42
Illinois
United States
Median household income
$109,846
$83,390
$84,427
Poverty rate
5.9%
11.8%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
42.4%
37.9%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
IL SD 42
Illinois
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
29.5%
24.1%
22.3%
Spanish
19.5%
14.0%
13.6%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic
2.1%
2.5%
0.7%
Other Indo-European
3.6%
2.6%
2.0%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
1.3%
1.0%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
IL SD 42
Illinois
United States
Catholic
—
24.2%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
11.7%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
49.2%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Illinois 42nd State Senate District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−5.0%
2008
+17.7%
2012
+8.1%
2016
+19.4%
2020
+25.6%
2024
+21.0%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
59.4%Harris57,572
38.3%Trump37,185
2.3%
D+21.0
R+4.6
D+22.5
96,992
D
61.7%Biden62,950
36.1%Trump36,843
2.2%
D+25.6
D+6.2
D+21.1
101,998
D
56.0%Clinton49,192
36.6%Trump32,156
7.4%
D+19.4
D+11.3
D+17.3
87,845
D
53.2%Obama41,884
45.1%Romney35,528
1.7%
D+8.1
R+9.6
D+4.2
78,784
D
58.2%Obama47,726
40.5%McCain33,218
1.3%
D+17.7
D+22.7
D+10.4
81,990
R
47.2%Kerry32,054
52.2%Bush35,441
0.5%
R+5.0
—
R+2.5
67,851
current representation
Current officeholders
DLinda HolmesState Senate · 42
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
Its Democratic presidential margin was D+21.0 in 2024 and D+17.7 in 2008. About 93,100 residents lived here, with White alone at 61.3% in the 2024 ACS 5-year.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 25.6 points in 2020 and a Republican high of 5.0 points in 2004. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 4.6 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 21.0 points.
A population of 217,158, a 54% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $109,846 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 31 and State Senate District 23.
Akashic
Political twins — state-senate districts
The state-senate districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Illinois 42nd State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/17042/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Illinois 42nd State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Illinois 42nd State Senate District voted Democratic by 21.0 points (D+21.0), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 96,992 votes cast, 57,572 went Democratic and 37,185 went Republican.
When did Illinois 42nd State Senate District last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Illinois 42nd State Senate District voted Republican was 2004.
How many people live in Illinois 42nd State Senate District?
Illinois 42nd State Senate District has a population of 217,158 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Illinois 42nd State Senate District?
Median household income in Illinois 42nd State Senate District is $109,846 — above the national median of $80,734. The Illinois state median is $83,390.
What is the political history of Illinois 42nd State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Illinois 42nd State Senate District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 1 went Republican.
