Dakota, IL is a small town in the Midwest with a rich history and vibrant community. Politics in Dakota, IL are largely based on local concerns and issues that are important to the citizens of the town. The most pressing topics of discussion center around education, job opportunities, infrastructure development, public safety, and economic growth. Every two years there is an election for mayor and city council members who represent the community’s interests both locally and nationally. During these elections candidates have to define their views on how to best address the needs of residents and set realistic goals for the future. Town meetings provide an opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions regarding any issues or concerns they may have about their local government. As a whole, Dakota's politics are largely driven by its citizens who aim to ensure their town remains strong and prosperous through active involvement in local affairs.
The political climate in Dakota, IL is moderately conservative.
Stephenson County, IL is somewhat conservative. In Stephenson County, IL 41.0% of the people voted Democrat in the last presidential election, 56.6% voted for the Republican Party, and the remaining 2.4% voted Independent.
In the last Presidential election, Stephenson county remained very strongly Republican, 56.6% to 41.0%.
Stephenson county voted Republican in five of the last six Presidential elections (2008 went Democratic).
The BestPlaces liberal/conservative index
Dakota, IL is moderately conservative.
Stephenson County, Illinois is somewhat conservative.
Freeport Metro Area is somewhat conservative.
Illinois is moderately liberal.
The BestPlaces liberal/conservative index is based on recent voting in national elections, federal campaign contributions by local residents, and consumer personality profiles.
VoteWord™
Displaying 20 years of Presidential voting, visualized in one word.
Dakota, Illinois: R R d r R R
How It Works:
Here at BestPlaces, we were looking at the voting patterns since the 2000 election and realized that we could express the results of each election as one letter. R if the Republican Party candidate won, D if the Democratic Party candidate won and I if the Independent Party candidate won. The six elections (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) would be expressed as six-letter word (R R D R R).
Then we went a little further and added the dimension of magnitude. If the difference of victory was greater than 10 percent, the letter is upper case, and lower case if the difference was less than 10 percent. This allows us to see interesting voting patterns at just a glance.
Here's the VoteWord for Iowa d r d d r. In the last six elections the state has been closely contested, voting narrowly for the Republican Party candidate in 2016 and 2020 after voting for the Democratic Party in 2008 and 2012. Virginia (r r d d d D) has voted for the Democratic Party in the last three elections.
Individual Campaign Contributions in Dakota, IL
In the last 4 years (2018-2021), there were 0 contributions totaling $0 to the Democratic Party and liberal campaigns, averaging $0 per contribution.
In the last 4 years, there were 3 contributions totaling $550 to the Republican Party and conservative campaigns, averaging $183 per contribution.
(source: Federal Election Commission)