On May 9–10, 1860 the Illinois Republican State Convention was held in Decatur. At this convention Abraham Lincoln received his first endorsement for president of the United States. Until 1932, Republicans had virtually complete control over Illinois politics. From1932 to 1994, Republicans still usually had more control over Illinois politics, although Democrats still had a presence in the state and many noted Democratic politicians, most notably Aldai Stevenson, came from Illinois. By the mid-1990s, though, Illinois had started to become more Democratic for both state and federal elections, in a large part because the GOP's Southern Strategy had alienated many Northeastern and Midwestern Republican voters. In1994, Democrats gained control of the Illinois House of Representatives. Illinois rapidly became more Democratic in the second half of the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2003, Illinois GOP power died when A Democrat became Illinois governor for the first time in 26 years and Democrats gained control over the Illinois Senate. With the exception of 2010, a disastrous election year nationally for Democrats, Illinois Democrats have consistently gained more and more power in every election year in Illinois since the mid-1990s.
