1976 Illinois elections


1976 Illinois elections

← 1974November 2, 19761978 →
Turnout77.38%
President Gerald Ford is joined by Republican gubernatorial nominee James R. Thompson at a whistle stop in Springfield

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 1976.[1]

Primaries were held on March 16, 1976.[1]

In order to, per Constitution of Illinois, allow for all statewide executive offices to be up for election in the 1978 midterms, all statewide executive offices up for election in 1976 were only elected to two-year terms.

Election information

In order to, per Constitution of Illinois, allow for all statewide executive offices to be up for election in the 1978 midterms, all statewide executive offices up for election in 1976 were only elected to two-year terms.

This is would be the last time that any election for a nstatewide executive office would be held in Illinois during a presidential election year, until 2016, when a special election was held for comptroller.

Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 21.55%, with a total of 1,239,487 ballots cast. 669,210 Democratic and 570,277 Republican primary ballots were cast.[1]

Turnout during the general election was 77.38%, with 4,838,182 ballots cast.[1]

Federal elections

United States President

Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Gerald Ford and Bob Dole.[1]

United States House

All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1976.

Republicans flipped one seat, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation consist of 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans.

State elections

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

1976 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1972November 2, 19761978 →
Turnout74.18%[1]
 
NomineeJames R. ThompsonMichael J. Howlett
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Running mateDavid C. O'NealNeil Hartigan
Popular vote3,000,3951,610,258
Percentage64.68%34.71%

County Results

Thompson:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Howlett:      50–60%

Governor before election

Dan Walker
Democratic

Elected Governor

James R. Thompson
Republican

Incumbent Governor Dan Walker, a Democrat, had been defeated by Michael J. Howlett in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Lieutenant Governor Neil Hartigan was renominated in the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary. The Republican ticket of James R. Thompson and David C. O'Neal won the election.

1976 gubernatorial election, Illinois[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanJames R. Thompson/Dave O'Neal 3,000,365 64.68
DemocraticMichael J. Howlett/Neil F. Hartigan1,610,25834.71
CommunistIshmael Flory/Linda R. Appelhans10,0910.22
LibertarianF. Joseph McCaffrey/Georgia E. Shields7,5520.16
Socialist WorkersSuzanne Haig/Dennis Brasky4,9260.11
Socialist LaborGeorge LaForest/Stanley A. Prorok3,1470.07
U.S. LaborEdward Waffle/Peter Matni2,3020.05
Write-inOther3690.01
Total votes4,639,010 100

Attorney General

1976 Illinois Attorney General election

← 1972November 2, 19761978 →
Turnout72.15%[1]
 
NomineeWilliam J. ScottCecil Partee
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Popular vote2,795,0131,678,800
Percentage61.95%37.21%

Attorney General before election

William J. Scott
Republican

Elected Attorney General

William J. Scott
Republican

Incumbent Attorney General William J. Scott, a Republican, was elected to a third term.

Democratic primary

President of the Illinois Senate Cecil Partee narrowly defeated Superintendent of the Illinois Department of Registration and Education[2] Ronald E. Stackler in the Democratic primary.

Attorney General Democratic primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticCecil A. Partee 270,741 50.56
DemocraticRonald E. Stackler264,70149.44
Total votes535,442 100

Republican primary

Incumbent William J. Scott won the Republican primary, running unopposed.

Attorney General Republican primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanWilliam J. Scott (incumbent) 485,940 100
Total votes485,940 100

General election

Attorney General election[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanWilliam J. Scott (incumbent) 2,795,013 61.95
DemocraticCecil Partee1,678,80037.21
CommunistTheodore Pearson11,1500.25
Socialist WorkersNancy J. Cohen9,3330.21
LibertarianJohn C. Reis9,1650.20
Socialist LaborGeorge P. Milonas4,3440.10
U.S. LaborRichard D. Leebove3,9180.16
Write-inOthers450.00
Total votes4,511,768 100

Secretary of State

1976 Illinois Secretary of State election

← 1972November 2, 19761978 →
Turnout72.00%[1]
 
NomineeAlan J. DixonWilliam C. Harris
PartyDemocraticRepublican
Popular vote2,906,3111,562,028
Percentage64.55%34.69%

County results
Dixon:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Harris:      50–60%      60–70%

Secretary of State before election

Michael Howlett
Democratic

Elected Secretary of State

Alan J. Dixon
Democratic

Incumbent Secretary of State Michael Howlett, a Democrat, did not seek a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Democrat Alan J. Dixon was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Illinois Treasurer Alan J. Dixon won the Democratic primary, defeating Illinois State Senator Vince Demuzio.

Secretary of State Democratic primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAlan J. Dixon 984,934 77.35
DemocraticVince Demuzio288,35422.65
Total votes1,273,288 100

Republican primary

Illinois State Senator William C. Harris won the Republican primary, running unopposed.

Secretary of State Republican primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanWilliam C. Harris 615,932 100
Total votes615,932 100

General election

Secretary of State election[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAlan J. Dixon 2,906,311 64.55
RepublicanWilliam C. Harris1,562,02834.69
LibertarianEllyn Powelson10,4610.23
CommunistFrances Gabow8,2710.18
Socialist WorkersEva Lynn Masterson6,3560.14
U.S. LaborJohn H. Brown, Jr.5,2120.12
Socialist LaborBen Leonik3,8760.09
Write-inOthers300.00
Total votes4,502,545 100

Comptroller

1976 Illinois State Comptroller election

← 1972November 2, 19761978 →
Turnout71.25%[1]
 
NomineeMichael BakalisGeorge W. Lindberg
PartyDemocraticRepublican
Popular vote2,298,0742,117,977
Percentage51.67%47.53%

State Comptroller before election

George W. Lindberg
Republican

Elected State Comptroller

Michael Bakalis
Democratic

Incumbent Comptroller George W. Lindberg, a Republican running for a second term, was defeated by Democrat Michael Bakalis.

Democratic primary

Former Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Bakalis won the Democratic primary, defeating Director of the Illinois State Department of General Services[3] Roland Burris.

Secretary of State Democratic primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticMichael J. Bakalis 900,294 71.82
DemocraticRoland W. Burris353,25228.18
Total votes1,253,546 100

Republican primary

Incumbent George W. Lindberg won the Republican primary, running unopposed.

Secretary of State Republican primary[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanGeorge W. Lindberg (incumbent) 619,698 100
Total votes619,698 100

General election

Comptroller election[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticMichael Bakalis 2,298,074 51.58
RepublicanGeorge W. Lindberg (incumbent)2,117,97747.53
LibertarianMark B. Wallace13,7890.31
CommunistCharles Hunter10,9920.25
U.S. LaborMichael Braun5,6350.13
Socialist WorkersClemens R. Bak5,0710.11
Socialist LaborGregory P. Lyngas4,0640.09
Write-inOthers220.00
Total votes4,455,624 100

State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1976. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1976. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

Trustees of University of Illinois

1976 Trustees of University of Illinois election
← 1974November 2, 19761978 →

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.

The election saw the reelection of first-term Democrats William D. Forsyth Jr., George W. Howard III, and Earl L. Neal.[1][4]

Trustees of the University of Illinois election[1][4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticEarl L. Neal (incumbent) 2,221,506 18.17
DemocraticWilliam D. Forsyth Jr. (incumbent) 2,056,442 16.82
DemocraticGeorge W. Howard, III (incumbent) 1,971,033 16.12
RepublicanTimothy W. Swain1,968,39116.10
RepublicanRobert E. Allen1,893,69515.49
RepublicanDean Ennis Madden1,789,40914.64
LibertarianAnne McCracken44,4720.36
U.S. LaborCarol Leebove30,2330.25
LibertarianJames D. McCawley27,5420.23
CommunistMark J. Almberg25,6410.21
LibertarianMilton Altschuler25,5320.21
U.S. LaborHelen Ratzlow25,3510.21
Socialist LaborDoris Churchill24,5950.20
U.S. LaborShari Waffle22,4980.18
CommunistAltherna Medith18,9480.16
CommunistJack Kling17,4140.14
Socialist LaborEdwin L. Williams14,9700.12
Socialist WorkersMark Harris13,3140.11
Socialist WorkersDavid W. Tucker11,9820.10
Socialist WorkersJohn Pottinger10,7520.09
Socialist LaborClarys L. Essex10,6710.09
Write-inOthers1130.00
Total votes12,224,504 100

Judicial elections

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1976.[1]

Local elections

Local elections were held.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1976 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH, 16, 1976" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  2. ^ "Names". Illinois Issues. July 1976. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "BURRIS , Roland | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
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