1976 Illinois gubernatorial election: Difference between revisions

1976 Illinois gubernatorial election
Turnout	74.18% 1.1 pp
	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

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The 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 2, 1976.^[1] Incumbent first-term Democratic governor Dan Walker lost renomination to Illinois Secretary of State Michael Howlett, who was an ally of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican nominee James R. Thompson. This election was the first of seven consecutive Republican gubernatorial victories in Illinois, a streak not broken until the election of Democrat Rod Blagojevich in 2002.

Background

This election was for a two-year term which would synchronize future gubernatorial elections with midterm election years, rather than presidential election years, as the 1970 Constitution of Illinois required gubernatorial elections to be held in midterm election years starting in 1978.^[2] The previous election had been in 1972.

The primaries (held on March 16) and general election coincided with those for federal offices (United States President and House) and those for other state offices.^[1] The election was part of the 1976 Illinois elections.

Turnout in the primaries saw 38.79% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,231,910 votes cast, and 33.89% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,949,469 votes cast.^[1] Turnout during the general election was 74.18%, with 4,639,010 votes cast.^[1]

Democratic primary

Governor

The incumbent Governor, Dan Walker, had a contentious relationship with the Daley Machine, which backed Secretary of State Michael Howlett. Walker carried most of the state's counties, but Howlett carried Cook county by a wide margin and was ultimately nominated.

1976 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Illinois^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Michael J. Howlett	811,721	53.82
	Democratic	Dan Walker (incumbent)	696,380	46.17
	Write-in	Others	245	0.02	n−a
Majority			115,341	7.65
Turnout			1,508,346

Lieutenant governor

Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Neil Hartigan was renominated, defeating Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner Joanne H. Alter.

Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Neil F. Hartigan (incumbent)	857,910	66.29
	Democratic	Joanne H. Alter	436,322	33.71
	Write-in	Others	29	0.00
Total votes			1,294,232	100

Republican primary

Governor

Thompson won the Republican Primary in a landslide, carrying every county.

1976 Republican gubernatorial primary, Illinois^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	James R. Thompson	625,457	86.44
	Republican	Richard H. Cooper	97,937	13.54
	Republican	write-ins	170	0.02	n−a
Majority			527,484	29.97
Turnout			723,564

Lieutenant governor

Dave O'Neal won the Republican primary, defeating Joan G. Anderson.

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David C. O'Neal	376,126	57.40
	Republican	Joan G. Anderson	279,087	42.59
	Write-in	Others	24	0.00
Total votes			655,237	100

General election

1976 gubernatorial election, Illinois^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	James R. Thompson/Dave O'Neal	3,000,365	64.68
	Democratic	Michael J. Howlett/Neil F. Hartigan	1,610,258	34.71
	Communist	Ishmael Flory/Linda R. Appelhans	10,091	0.22
	Libertarian	F. Joseph McCaffrey/Georgia E. Shields	7,552	0.16
	Socialist Workers	Suzanne Haig/Dennis Brasky	4,926	0.11
	Socialist Labor	George LaForest/Stanley A. Prorok	3,147	0.07
	U.S. Labor	Edward Waffle/Peter Matni	2,302	0.05
	Write-in	Others	369	0.01	n−a
Majority			1,390,137	29.97
Turnout			4,639,010
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "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.
^ w. "Illinois Constitution – Article V". Ilga.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2015.

[results-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "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] w. "Illinois Constitution – Article V". Ilga.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2015.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 The '''1976 Illinois gubernatorial election''' was held in [[Illinois]] on November 2, 1976.<ref name="results">{{cite web |title=OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1976 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH, 16, 1976 |url=https://www.elections.il.gov/DocDisplay.aspx?doc=Downloads/ElectionOperations/VoteTotals/Archived/1976/1976%20GE%20and%20PE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714180655/https://www.elections.il.gov/DocDisplay.aspx?doc=Downloads/ElectionOperations/VoteTotals/Archived/1976/1976%20GE%20and%20PE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2021 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |access-date=26 June 2020 }}</ref> [[Incumbent]] first-term [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Governor of Illinois|governor]] [[Dan Walker (politician)|Dan Walker]] lost renomination to [[Illinois Secretary of State]] [[Michael Howlett]], who was an ally of [[Chicago mayor]] [[Richard J. Daley]]. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican nominee [[James R. Thompson]]. This election was the first of seven consecutive Republican gubernatorial victories in Illinois, a streak not broken until the election of Democrat [[Rod Blagojevich]] in [[2002 Illinois gubernatorial election|2002]].
+==Background==
-==Election information==
 This election was for a two-year term which would synchronize future gubernatorial elections with [[midterm election]] years, rather than presidential election years, as the 1970 [[Constitution of Illinois]] required gubernatorial elections to be held in midterm election years starting in 1978.<ref>{{cite web|author=w |url=http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con5.htm |title=Illinois Constitution – Article V |publisher=Ilga.gov |access-date=2015-04-04}}</ref> The previous election had been in [[1972 Illinois gubernatorial election|1972]].
-The [[primary election|primaries]] (held on March 16) and general election  coincided with those for federal offices ([[1976 United States presidential election in Illinois|United States President]] and [[1976 United States House of Representatives elections#Illinois|House]]) and those for other state offices.<ref name="results"/> The election was part of the [[1976 Illinois elections]].
+The [[primary election|primaries]] (held on March 16) and general election coincided with those for federal offices ([[1976 United States presidential election in Illinois|United States President]] and [[1976 United States House of Representatives elections#Illinois|House]]) and those for other state offices.<ref name="results"/> The election was part of the [[1976 Illinois elections]].
+Turnout in the primaries saw 38.79% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,231,910 votes cast, and 33.89% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,949,469 votes cast.<ref name="results"/> Turnout during the general election was 74.18%, with 4,639,010 votes cast.<ref name="results"/>
-===Turnout===
-Turnout in the primaries saw 38.79% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,231,910 votes cast, and 33.89% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,949,469 votes cast.<ref name="results"/>
-Turnout during the general election was 74.18%, with 4,639,010 votes cast.<ref name="results"/>
 ==Democratic primary==

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Special	2nd congressional, 1995 14th congressional, 2008 5th congressional, 2009 2nd congressional, 2013 18th congressional, 2015 Comptroller, 2016
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Other state executive offices	Attorney General 2018 2022 Secretary of State 2022 Comptroller 2016
State Senate	2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State House	1964 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State judicial	1936 1938 1940 1942 1948 1960 1962 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Ballot measures and referendums	State capitol referendum (1834) Cutback Amendment (1980) Crime Victim Rights Amendment (1992) Governor Recall Amendment (2010) Public Pension Amendment (2012) Marsy's Law (2014) Right to Vote Amendment (2014) Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment (2016) Fair Tax (2020) Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment (2022)
Chicago mayoral	1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 (Mar) 1844 (Apr) 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1876 (Apr) 1876 (Jul) 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 (Apr) 1893 (Dec) 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1977 1979 1983 1987 1989 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 2027
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Other municipal	1924 Cicero
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