1968 United States Senate election in Illinois

1968 United States Senate election in Illinois

←  1962 November 5, 1968 1970 (special)  →
Turnout	78.39%
Nominee Everett M. Dirksen William G. Clark Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,358,947 2,073,242 Percentage 53.01% 46.59%
County results Dirksen:     50-60%     60-70%     70-80% Clark:     50–60%
Senator before election Everett M. Dirksen Republican Elected Senator Everett M. Dirksen Republican

The 1968 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 5, 1968 ^[1] to elect one of Illinois's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen won re-election to his fourth term.

Background

The primaries and general election coincided with those for other federal (United States president and House) and those for state elections.

Primaries were held on June 11. ^{[1] [2]}

Turnout in the primary elections was 23.90%, with a total of 1,303,375 votes cast. ^{[1] [3]}

Turnout during the general election was 78.39%, with 4,449,757 votes cast. ^[1]

Democratic primary

Illinois Attorney General William G. Clark won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.

Democratic primary ^{[1] [2]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William G. Clark	627,361	99.97
	Write-in		218	0.04
Total votes			627,579	100

Republican primary

Incumbent U.S. Senator, and Senate Minority Leader, Everett M. Dirksen, won renomination over Roy C. Johnson.

Republican primary ^{[1] [2]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Everett McKinley Dirksen (incumbent)	622,710	92.15
	Republican	Roy C. Johnson	53,069	7.85
	Write-in		17	0.00
Total votes			675,796	100

General election

Results

Dirksen carried 99 of the state's 102 counties. ^[1] Clark, however, carried the state's most populous county, Cook County, taking 54.07% of the vote, to Dirksen's 45.52%. ^[1] Since Cook County was home to 50.65% of the votes cast in the election, the final result of the election was close, despite Dirksen winning a landslide 60.70% of the vote to Clark's 38.92% in the other 101 counties of the state. ^[1]

Additionally, in Cook County's principal city, Chicago (from which 31.02% of all statewide ballots were cast), Clark won 63.90% of the vote to Dirksen's 35.58%. ^[1] Clark's majority in Chicago and Cook County was insufficient to roll back Dirksen's large majorities in the Chicago suburbs and Downstate.

United States Senate election in Illinois, 1968 ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Everett M. Dirksen (incumbent)	2,358,947	53.01
	Democratic	William G. Clark	2,073,242	46.59
	Socialist Labor	Louis Fisher	17,542	0.39
	Write-in		26	0.00
Total votes			4,449,757	100.00

See also

• United States Senate elections, 1968

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 1968 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, JUNE, 11, 1972" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
2. Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Illinois Secretary of State. p. 884. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
3. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2020.