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Turnout | 51.24% | ||||||||||||||||
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![]() County results Percy: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Illinois |
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The 1972 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 7, 1972. [1] Incumbent Republican United States Senator Charles H. Percy sought re-election to the United States Senate. Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Roman Pucinski, a United States Congressman from Illinois's 11th congressional district, whom he was able to defeat handily to win a second term. As of 2022 [update] , this was the last time a Republican was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois during a presidential election year, the last time an Illinois Republican won a Senate election by double digits, and the last time any candidate has swept every county in the state. This election was the fourth consecutive time in which a United States Senate election in Illinois took place two years after a previous United States Senate election in Illinois after 1966, 1968 and 1970.
The primary (held on March 21) and general election coincided with those for House and state elections. [1]
Turnout in the primaries was 31.40%, with a total of 1,753,727 votes cast. [1]
Turnout during the general election was 51.24%, with 3,184,764 votes cast. [1]
Turnout in both the primary and general election was significantly less than those for coinciding statewide races. [1]
Congressman Roman Pucinski defeated Dakin Williams in the Democratic primary. Williams was a prosecutor who was the younger brother of playwright Tennessee Williams. [2]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Roman C. Pucinski | 859,890 | 70.62 | |
Democratic | W. Dakin Williams | 357,744 | 29.38 | |
Democratic | Write Ins | 71 | 0 | |
Total votes | 1,217,705 | 100 |
Incumbent Charles H. Percy was renominated without opposition in the Republican primary.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Charles H. Percy (incumbent) | 535,911 | 99.98 | |
Write-in | Others | 111 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 536,022 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Charles H. Percy (incumbent) | 2,867,078 | 62.21% | +7.27% | |
Democratic | Roman Pucinski | 1,721,031 | 37.35% | -6.55% | |
Socialist Labor | Edward C. Gross | 13,384 | 0.29% | ||
Communist | Arnold Becchetti | 6,103 | 0.13% | ||
Write-in | Others | 784 | 0.02% | ||
Majority | 1,146,047 | 24.87% | +13.82% | ||
Turnout | 3,822,724 | ||||
Republican hold | Swing | ||||
The 1984 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of President Ronald Reagan in the presidential election. In spite of the lopsided presidential race, Reagan's Republican Party suffered a net loss of two Senate seats to the Democrats, although it retained control of the Senate with a reduced 53–47 majority. Democrats defeated incumbents in Illinois and Iowa, and won an open seat in Tennessee, while Republicans defeated an incumbent in Kentucky.
The 1972 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of Republican President Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon's landslide victory, Democrats increased their majority by two seats. The Democrats picked up open seats in Kentucky and South Dakota, and defeated four incumbent senators: Gordon Allott of Colorado, J. Caleb Boggs of Delaware, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Margaret Chase Smith of Maine. The Republicans picked up open seats in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and defeated one incumbent, William B. Spong Jr. of Virginia.
The 1992 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Senator Alan J. Dixon decided to run for re-election a third term, but he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Carol Moseley Braun, who won the general election. Until 2022, this was the last time a single party won Illinois's Class 3 Senate seat in two or more consecutive elections.
The 1990 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Simon sought re-election to a second term in office. Simon was opposed by Republican nominee Lynn Morley Martin, a U.S. Congresswoman from Illinois's 16th congressional district, whom he easily defeated to win a second and final term in the Senate.
The 1984 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican Senator Charles H. Percy ran for re-election to a fourth term in the United States Senate. Senator Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Paul Simon, who was a United States Congressman from Illinois's 22nd congressional district. The campaign between Percy and Simon was contentious and brutally fought, and ended up with Simon ousting Percy by fewer than 90,000 votes, which was, at the time, considered an upset. Incidentally, Percy's son-in-law Jay Rockefeller was elected Senator from West Virginia in the same election cycle.
The 1978 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Charles H. Percy ran for re-election to a third term in the United States Senate. Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Alex Seith, an attorney who had been appointed to several local government positions.
The 1966 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 8, 1966. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas, seeking a fourth term in the United States Senate, faced off against Republican Charles H. Percy, a businessman and the 1964 Republican nominee for Governor of Illinois. A competitive election ensued, featuring campaign appearances by former vice president Richard M. Nixon on behalf of Percy. Ultimately, Percy ended up defeating Senator Douglas by a fairly wide margin, allowing him to win what would be the first of three terms in the Senate.
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections were held on February 2, 2010.
The 1986 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 1986. The incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon won re-election to a second term. Until 2022, this was the most recent election in which an incumbent Senator won re-election to Illinois' Class 3 seat and was elected to more than one full term.
The 1980 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III decided to retire. Democrat Alan J. Dixon won the open seat.
The 1978 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1978. Republican James R. Thompson easily won a second term in office, defeating Democratic nominee Michael Bakalis by nearly 600,000 votes.
The 1972 United States presidential election in Illinois was held on November 7, 1972 as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Richard Nixon won the state of Illinois with 59.03 percent of the vote, carrying the state's 26 electoral votes. He defeated his main opponent, Democratic candidate George McGovern in Illinois by a large margin of 18.52%, which still left Illinois 4.63% more Democratic than the nation.
The United States Senate election in Illinois of 1954 took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas was reelected to a second term.
The 1970 United States Senate special election in Illinois was held on November 3, 1970, to fill the remainder of the term of Republican Everett Dirksen, who had died in office. Republican Ralph Tyler Smith had been appointed to fill the seat after Dirksen's death, and he lost the special election to Democrat Adlai Stevenson III. This election was the third consecutive time in which a United States Senate election in Illinois took place two years after a previous United States Senate election in Illinois after 1966 and 1968.
The 1974 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III, who was first elected in a special election in 1970, was re-elected to a full term in office, defeating Republican George Burditt by a large margin of nearly 800,000 votes. This election was the fifth consecutive time in which a United States Senate election in Illinois took place two years after a previous United States Senate election in Illinois after 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1972.
The 1964 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 3, 1964. The Democratic nominee, incumbent Governor Otto Kerner, Jr., won reelection against the Republican nominee, Charles H. Percy.
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 6, 1984.
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1972.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 5, 1996.
The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 3, 1992.