Four townships in Cook County that voted R

[King of Kensington]

They are Lemont (58.7%), Norwood Park (52.2%), Palos (51.4%), Orland (50.7%).

Lemont, Palos and Orland are part of a contiguous area of suburban SW Cook County, while Norwood Park is (probably) the most "white ethnic" (Polish/Italian) municipality in Chicagoland.

Interestingly Barrington went narrowly D - isn't that exurban "horse country"?

[Unelectable Bystander]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

[Sol]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

Cuba, Wauconda, and Ela all narrowly voted Biden too, as did Algonquin in McHenry. Cuba and Wauconda were very narrowly Biden indeed.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Barrington is very wealthy and no doubt educated, it's the sort of places that Democrats shouldn't be winning on paper but that's what we have now. I'm actually surprised Trump won it in 2016, it was no doubt very Republican previously and had strong inertia.

That said only Barrington proper and South Barrington voted Biden. And both seem like they'd have at least some middle class (though still educated) population. Even Trump won the areas of massive houses and horse trails.

[King of Kensington]

Looks like 4 of the 5 most Polish townships went R.

Polish Americans

Norwood Park  30.9%
Lemont  26.2%
Palos  25.1%
Stickney  22.5%
Orland  19.1%

[Bismarck]

Looks like 4 of the 5 most Polish townships went R.

Polish Americans

Norwood Park  30.9%
Lemont  26.2%
Palos  25.1%
Stickney  22.5%
Orland  19.1%

Poor Chicago poles are probably the least politically successful major ethnic group anywhere in America.

[King of Kensington]

Never been a Polish American Chicago mayor or Illinois governor or senator.

[GregTheGreat657]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

Romney got over 60% there

[If my soul was made of stone]

Looks like 4 of the 5 most Polish townships went R.

Polish Americans

Norwood Park  30.9%
Lemont  26.2%
Palos  25.1%
Stickney  22.5%
Orland  19.1%

Poor Chicago poles are probably the least politically successful major ethnic group anywhere in America.

*angry Lipinski noises* *angry LaRouchite entryist noises*

[Mr. Illini]

Barrington is currently the center of an LGBT book banning debate in their library system. It's incredible how much suburbs like it can swing, even on issues.

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

Romney got over 60% there

Similar pattern to wealthy suburbs of New York like Darien and New Canaan, CT where Romney won by thirty points before they went narrowly for Hillary and slightly more comfortably for Biden. Other wealthy towns in Fairfield County like Westport are more Jewish, Catholic and Asian and haven’t gone for a Republican since Bush SR and at one time were more working class whereas New Canaan and Darien are more WASPish and have always been wealthy. I wonder if a similar pattern can be observed in Cook County in terms of a divide between new money and old money suburbs and when they flipped parties.

[Alcibiades]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

Romney got over 60% there

Similar pattern to wealthy suburbs of New York like Darien and New Canaan, CT where Romney won by thirty points before they went narrowly for Hillary and slightly more comfortably for Biden. Other wealthy towns in Fairfield County like Westport are more Jewish, Catholic and Asian and haven’t gone for a Republican since Bush SR and at one time were more working class whereas New Canaan and Darien are more WASPish and have always been wealthy. I wonder if a similar pattern can be observed in Cook County in terms of a divide between new money and old money suburbs and when they flipped parties.

Absolutely, or if not necessarily really old vs. new money, then certainly on the basis of ethnicity. This is seen particularly strongly in the very wealthy towns on the North Shore: Highland Park (actually just over the county line in Lake County) is traditionally extremely Jewish, and has been heavily Democratic for a very long time (I think it even voted Mondale in 1984), Winnetka and Kenilworth are more WASPish and follow a similar pattern to the one you mentioned for Darien and New Canaan, while Lake Forest (also in Lake County) had property covenants banning Jews and non-whites until the late 20th century, and was extremely close even in 2020, possibly voting for Trump (pretty sure it definitely did in 2016).

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

I would call it more outer ring suburbs than exurbs, but yes that’s a little surprising that it voted for Biden. I would have expected Barrington/south Barrington to be lean D and Inverness/Barrington Hills to be lean R, with the unincorporated areas being solid R. The township had to have voted for Romney by insane margins.

I’d be curious to know the results of the adjacent township in lake county. Lake Barrington and north Barrington are closer to true exurbs and are probably to the right of the rest.

Romney got over 60% there

Similar pattern to wealthy suburbs of New York like Darien and New Canaan, CT where Romney won by thirty points before they went narrowly for Hillary and slightly more comfortably for Biden. Other wealthy towns in Fairfield County like Westport are more Jewish, Catholic and Asian and haven’t gone for a Republican since Bush SR and at one time were more working class whereas New Canaan and Darien are more WASPish and have always been wealthy. I wonder if a similar pattern can be observed in Cook County in terms of a divide between new money and old money suburbs and when they flipped parties.

Absolutely, or if not necessarily really old vs. new money, then certainly on the basis of ethnicity. This is seen particularly strongly in the very wealthy towns on the North Shore: Highland Park (actually just over the county line in Lake County) is traditionally extremely Jewish, and has been heavily Democratic for a very long time (I think it even voted Mondale in 1984), Winnetka and Kenilworth are more WASPish and follow a similar pattern to the one you mentioned for Darien and New Canaan, while Lake Forest (also in Lake County) had property covenants banning Jews and non-whites until the late 20th century, and was extremely close even in 2020, possibly voting for Trump (pretty sure it definitely did in 2016).

That makes a lot of sense. I believe that New Canaan had restrictive covenants also and was the basis for the movie “Gentleman’s Agreement.”

[cinyc]

If there ever is to be a Republican rebound in Illinois within the next 20 years (doubtful), it will start in the SW Chicago suburbs.