1956 United States Senate election in Illinois

1956 United States Senate election in Illinois

←  1950 November 6, 1956 1962  →
Turnout	81.74%
Nominee Everett M. Dirksen Richard Stengel Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,307,552 1,949,883 Percentage 54.11% 45.72%
County results Dirksen:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Stengel:     50–60%
Senator before election Everett M. Dirksen Republican Elected Senator Everett M. Dirksen Republican

The 1956 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 6, 1956 ^[1] to elect one of Illinois's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen won reelection to a second term.

Background

The primaries and general election coincided with those for federal offices (President and House) and state elections.

Primaries were held on April 10. ^[1]

Turnout in the primary elections was 26.26%, with a total of 1,307,357 votes cast. ^{[1] [2]}

Turnout during the general election was 81.74%, with 4,264,830 votes cast. ^{[1] [3]}

Democratic primary

In 1955, Scott W. Lucas, who lost to Everett Dirksen in the 1950 election, explored a candidacy to "regain" his seat. Lucas faced opposition from organized labor for his perceived lukewarm support of their agenda. ^[4] Other candidates who publicly expressed interest were State Senator James Gray of East St. Louis, State Representative Richard Stengel of Rock Island, and Roy E. Yung of Springfield, a former director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. ^[5] The Democratic Party nominated Richard Stengel, who ran unopposed in the primary. ^[6]

Democratic primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Richard Stengel	621,005	99.99
	Write-in		50	0.01
Total votes			621,055	100

Republican primary

Republican primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Everett McKinley Dirksen (incumbent)	686,268	100
	Write-in		34	0.01
Total votes			686,302	100

General election

Dirksen carried 88 of the state's 102 counties. ^[1] Among the 88 counties that Dirksen won was the state's most populous county, Cook County, in which Dirksen won with 51.13% to Stengel's 48.63%. ^[1] Despite losing in Cook County, Stengel performed better in the county than he did in the cumulative vote of the remaining 101 counties ^[1] In the cumulative vote of the state's other 101 counties, Dirksen won 57.32% to Stengel's 42.58%. ^[1] 51.97% of the votes cast in the election were from Cook County. ^[1]

While he lost the overall vote in Cook County as a whole, in Cook County's principal city, Chicago (where 37.79% of all votes cast in the election were from), Stengel won 54.33% of the vote to Dirksen's 45.37% ^[1]

General election ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Everett McKinley Dirksen (incumbent)	2,307,552	54.11
	Democratic	Richard Stengel	1,949,883	45.72
	Socialist Labor	Louis Fisher	7,587	0.18
	Write-in		8	0.00
Total votes			4,264,830	100

See also

• 1956 United States Senate elections

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1956 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1955, 1956 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 10 1958" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
2. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
3. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. Kanady, Johnson (October 25, 1955). "Downstaters Talk Up "Stop Lucas' Plans". Chicago Tribune . p. A10.
5. "Slatemakers Hear 7 in Race for Governor". Chicago Tribune . January 7, 1956. p. 1.
6. Tagge, George (November 22, 1955). "Hear Schaefer, Stengel to Top Daley's Slate". Chicago Tribune . p. 8.