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Super Tuesday State Profile: Illinois

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Democratic Primary Analysis:
If there is one banker on Super Tuesday, it is probably the fact that Barack Obama will win Illinois. Obama was elected as to the US Senate from Illinois with a massive 70% of the vote in 2004, a year which more generally saw Republican gains across the rest of the country. Most polls give him a strong double-figure lead over Clinton and it would be a remarkable result were he to not win this state by some distance.

Republican Primary Analysis:
For the Republicans, however, things are much closer. John McCain is currently the favourite but anything could happen on the day. Polling in the state has been limited and little can be drawn as a result, and so this particular contest could see large swings on election night.

Important information

- Timezone: GMT -6

- Polls open: 12PM GMT

- Polls close: 1AM GMT

- Abbreviation: IL

- Delegates at stake: 185

- Barack Obama's home state

Demographics

- White: 80.3%

- Hispanic: 13.7%

- Other: 6%

Political history

- Senators: Richard Durbin and Barack Obama (both Democrats)

- Governor: Rob Blagojevich (Democrat)

- 2004 voted for: Kerry

- Electoral College votes: 21

Other stats

- Population: 12.8 million

- State nickname: The Prairie State

- State capital: Springfield

- Most famous offspring: Gillian Anderson, Cindy Crawford, Miles Davis, Walt Disney, Harrison Ford, Ernest Hemmingway, Charlton Heston, Quincy Jones, Bill Murray, Ronald Reagan

- Strange fact: there is a $1,000 fine for beating rats with baseball bats

Click here to view Illinois Republican Primary
Click here to view Illinois Democratic Primary