1920 Illinois gubernatorial election

1920 Illinois gubernatorial election

←  1916 November 2, 1920 1924  →

Nominee Len Small James Hamilton Lewis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,243,148 731,541 Percentage 58.87% 34.64%

County results Small:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Lewis:     40–50%     50–60%

Governor before election Frank Orren Lowden Republican Elected Governor Len Small Republican

The 1920 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920.

Incumbent first-term Republican Governor Frank Orren Lowden declined to stand for re-election. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. President at the 1920 Republican National Convention.

Republican nominee Len Small defeated Democratic nominee James Hamilton Lewis with 58.78% of the vote.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on September 15, 1920.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• James Hamilton Lewis, former U.S. Senator
• Barratt O'Hara, former Lieutenant Governor

Results

Democratic primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis	153,717	85.14
	Democratic	Barratt O'Hara	26,827	14.86
Total votes			180,544	100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

• Oscar E. Carlstrom, Mercer County state's attorney
• John G. Oglesby, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
• Len Small, former State Treasurer
• Edward N. Woodruff, mayor of Peoria

Results

Republican primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Len Small	377,005	46.49
	Republican	John G. Oglesby	369,103	45.52
	Republican	Edward N. Woodruff	34,506	4.26
	Republican	Oscar E. Carlstrom	30,836	3.74
Total votes			811,450	100.00

Socialist primary

Candidates

• Andrew Lafin

Results

Socialist primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Andrew Lafin	1,859	100.00
Total votes			1,859	100.00

General election

Candidates

Major candidates

• Len Small, Republican
• James Hamilton Lewis, Democratic

Minor candidates

• Harrison Parker, Co-operative, former president of the Chicago-American Newspaper Company ^[2]
• John H. Walker, Farmer-Labor, national Chairman of the Farmer-Labor Party ^[3]
• John Maynard Harlan, Harding-Coolidge Republican, Independent nominee for mayor of Chicago 1897 and Republican nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1905
• Parke Longworth, Liberal
• James H. Woertendyke, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for U.S. House in 1904 from Illinois's 13th congressional district
• Lewis D. Spaulding, Single Tax
• Andrew Lafin, Socialist, Socialist nominee for U.S. House in 1916 from Illinois's 9th congressional district
• John M. Francis, Socialist Labor, nominee for Governor in 1916

Results

1920 Illinois gubernatorial election ^{[4] [5]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Len Small	1,243,148	58.87%
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis	731,551	34.64%
	Socialist	Andrew Lafin	58,998	2.79%
	Farmer–Labor	John H. Walker	56,480	2.67%
	Prohibition	James H. Woertendyke	9,876	0.47%
	Independent Republican	John Maynard Harlan	5,985	0.28%
	Socialist Labor	John M. Francis	3,020	0.14%
	Co-operative Party	Harrison Parker	1,260	0.06%
	Single Tax	Lewis D. Spaulding	930	0.04%
	Liberal	Parke Longworth	357	0.02%
		Scattering	5	0.00%
Majority			511,597	24.23%
Turnout			2,111,605	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing

See also

• 1920 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

References

1. Illinois Official Vote 1920, pp. 72–73.
2. "Candidate for Governor". Evening times-Republican. Marshalltown, Iowa. September 25, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
3. Buck, Robert M. (July 17, 1920). "The Farmer-Labor Party Convention" (PDF). The New Majority. Chicago. pp. 1–2. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
4. Illinois Official Vote 1920, p. 5.
5. Glashan 1979, pp. 80–81.

Bibliography

• Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN   0-930466-17-9.
• Compiled by Louis L. Emmerson, Secretary of State (1920). Official vote of the State of Illinois cast at the General Election, Nov. 2, 1920, &c., &c. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers.