| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 34,126 | 28,061 | 63,458 | |
| 2020 | D | 36,691 | 28,603 | 66,947 | |
| 2016 | D | 32,298 | 26,998 | 63,994 | |
| 2012 | D | 39,157 | 24,934 | 65,217 | |
| 2008 | D | 42,210 | 25,364 | 68,401 | |
| 2004 | D | 39,880 | 29,663 | 69,972 | |
| 2000 | D | 37,957 | 25,194 | 65,095 | |
| 1996 | D | 34,822 | 20,626 | 60,955 | |
| 1992 | D | 37,412 | 23,212 | 72,039 | |
| 1988 | D | 40,174 | 27,412 | 67,901 | |
| 1984 | D | 40,208 | 35,121 | 75,672 | |
| 1980 | R | 30,045 | 34,788 | 71,775 | |
| 1976 | D | 35,994 | 34,007 | 71,261 | |
| 1972 | R | 32,529 | 37,548 | 70,330 | |
| 1968 | D | 34,506 | 30,404 | 70,140 | |
| 1964 | D | 41,759 | 23,714 | 65,473 | |
| 1960 | D | 33,812 | 32,534 | 66,454 | |
| 1956 | R | 29,145 | 31,342 | 60,605 | |
| 1952 | R | 27,879 | 32,933 | 60,912 | |
| 1948 | D | 24,542 | 22,192 | 47,211 | |
| 1944 | D | 30,102 | 23,980 | 54,262 | |
| 1940 | D | 35,240 | 25,629 | 61,101 | |
| 1936 | D | 32,741 | 19,487 | 53,027 | |
| 1932 | D | 24,676 | 21,205 | 46,549 | |
| 1928 | R | 14,334 | 27,246 | 41,776 | |
| 1924 | R | 3,631 | 20,563 | 35,647 | |
| 1920 | R | 5,208 | 21,908 | 30,719 | |
| 1916 | R | 10,914 | 16,169 | 30,322 | |
| 1912 | D | 3,997 | 2,394 | 15,289 | |
| 1908 | R | 4,739 | 8,196 | 14,781 | |
| 1904 | R | 2,156 | 8,152 | 13,203 | |
| 1900 | R | 4,786 | 8,299 | 13,556 | |
| 1896 | R | 4,692 | 7,323 | 12,191 | |
| 1892 | R | 4,034 | 5,052 | 9,645 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Rock Island anchors Illinois's Quad Cities metro along the Iowa border, where a unionized manufacturing heritage and a diverse urban core in Rock Island and Moline have kept the county reliably left of center in statewide contests.
The Democratic margin in Rock Island County reached its widest at twenty-eight points in 1964. The margin in 2024 was ten points — still decisive.
Rock Island County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $67,159, a 72% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 142,757 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Costilla County and Genesee County.
