1972 United States Senate election in Illinois

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1972 United States Senate election in Illinois
Flag of Illinois.svg
  1966 November 7, 1972 1978  
Turnout51.24%
  Charles Percy (Illinois Blue Book Portrait 1971-1972).png RomanPucinski (cropped).jpg
Nominee Charles Percy Roman Pucinski
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote2,867,0781,721,031
Percentage62.21%37.35%

1972 United States Senate election in Illinois results map by county.svg
County results
Percy:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

U.S. senator before election

Charles H. Percy
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Charles H. Percy
Republican

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 Representative from the Northwest Side of Chicago, whom he was able to defeat handily to win a second term. As of 2022, 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.

Contents

Background

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]

Democratic primary

Congressman Roman Pucinski defeated Dakin Williams in the Democratic primary. Williams was a prosecutor who was the younger brother of playwright Tennessee Williams. [2]

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Roman C. Pucinski 859,890 70.62
Democratic W. Dakin Williams357,74429.38
Democratic Write Ins710
Total votes1,217,705 100

Republican primary

Incumbent Charles H. Percy was renominated without opposition in the Republican primary.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Charles H. Percy (incumbent) 535,911 99.98
Write-in Others 111 0.02
Total votes536,022 100

General election

Candidates

United States Senate election in Illinois, 1972 [1] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Charles H. Percy (incumbent) 2,867,078 62.21% +7.27%
Democratic Roman Pucinski 1,721,03137.35%−6.55%
Socialist Labor Edward C. Gross13,3840.29%
Communist Arnold Becchetti6,1030.13%
Write-in 7840.02%
Majority 1,146,04724.87%+13.82%
Turnout 3,822,724
Republican hold Swing

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 7, 1972 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH, 21, 1972" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 26, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "Tennessee Williams' brother dead at 89". The State Journal-Register. May 22, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2015.