Iowa 2008 – First in the Nation: Why not Illinois?

Moving the nation’s first primary contest from one flat, Midwestern state to another may not seem like a radical idea. But changing the primary schedule so that the “Land of Lincoln” voted before the Hawkeye state could change the outcome of presidential elections altogether.

“It would be a remarkably different world,” said Kent Redfield, political science professor at the University of Illinois in Springfield.

Illinois is one of 22 states with primaries scheduled Feb. 5, known as Super Tuesday, to weigh in on the candidates for president. Iowa held the first caucus in the nation on Jan. 3.

Illinois and Iowa are not as similar as their shared border may suggest. Most notably, Illinois is more diverse.