The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is the second highest executive of the State of Illinois. In Illinois, the lieutenant governor and governor run on a joint ticket, and are directly elected by popular vote. Candidates for lieutenant governor ran separately in the primary from candidates for governor until 2014, when the system was changed to allow the gubernatorial nominee of a party to select the nominee for lieutenant governor. When the Governor of Illinois becomes unable to discharge the duties of that office, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor. If the Governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. Under the Illinois Constitution, the Attorney General is next in line of succession to the Governor's office after the lieutenant governor, but does not succeed to the Lieutenant Governor's office. From the impeachment of Rod Blagojevich in 2009 until the inauguration of Sheila Simon in 2011, Attorney General Lisa Madigan would have become Governor if Pat Quinn had vacated the office. Historically, the lieutenant governor has been from either the Democratic Party or Republican Party. The current lieutenant governor is Democrat Juliana Stratton.
The 2006 Election for statewide offices in the State of Illinois were held on 7 November 2006. On that date, registered voters in the State of Illinois were eligible to elect officeholders in six statewide offices: the office of Governor of Illinois, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois Treasurer and Illinois Comptroller.
The Illinois Republican Party is the state-level affiliate of the Republican Party in Illinois. Since May 17, 2014, it has been chaired by Tim Schneider. The party is one of two legally established, statewide political parties in Illinois, the other being the Democratic Party.
Illinois is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections and one of the three largest Democratic states in the nation alongside California and New York. It is one of the most Democratic states in the nation with all state executive offices and both state legislative branches held by Democrats. For most of its history, Illinois was widely considered to be a swing state, voting for the winner of all but two presidential elections in the 20th century. Political party strength in Illinois is highly dependent upon Cook County, and the state's reputation as a blue state rests upon the fact that the majority of its population and political power is concentrated in Chicago, Cook County, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Outside of Chicago, the suburban collar counties continue trending Democratic while downstate Illinois can be considered more conservative with some moderate regions.
The 2010 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Quinn sought and was elected to a full term in office. Quinn was elected as the Democratic nominee, the Illinois Green Party nominee was attorney and 2006 nominee Rich Whitney, the Republican nominee was State Senator Bill Brady, the Libertarian Party nominee was Lex Green, and Scott Lee Cohen ran as an independent. Governor Quinn won election to a full term in a very close race, beating Senator Brady by only about 32,000 votes, despite Brady winning in 98 of 102 Illinois counties.
The Illinois Gubernatorial election of 1994 was the greatest landslide in Illinois history, excepting the election of 1818. Incumbent Governor Jim Edgar carried 101 of the state's 102 counties. State Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch won only Gallatin County. This gubernatorial election is the most recent in which Cook County voted for the Republican candidate.
The 1822 Illinois gubernatorial election was Illinois's second gubernatorial election and its first competitive election. All candidates in the election represented the Democratic-Republican Party.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1826 was the third quadrennial election for this office. former Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards was elected with a 49% plurality. State senator Thomas Sloo, Jr. came in second and Former Lieutenant Governor Adolphus Hubbard came in third.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1830 was the fourth quadrennial election for this office. State Representative John Reynolds was elected comfortably, defeating Lt. Governor William Kinney.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1834 was the fifth quadrennial election for this office. U.S. Representative Joseph Duncan was elected by a majority of the voters. He defeated former Lt. Governor William Kinney and former state treasurer Robert K. McLaughlin. Kinney had run in the election before as well. This was the only election of a Whig Governor in Illinois history.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1838 was the sixth quadrennial election for this office. Democrat Thomas Carlin was elected by a bare majority of the voters in a close election. He defeated Cyrus Edwards, the brother of former governor Ninian Edwards for the office.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1842 was the seventh quadrennial election for this office. Democrat Thomas Ford defeated former Whig governor Joseph Duncan.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1848 was the ninth election for this office. Democratic governor Augustus C. French was easily re-elected. This was the first gubernatorial election in Illinois that was held on the same date as the United States presidential election.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1852 was the tenth election for this office. Democratic governor Augustus C. French did not seek re-election. Democrat Joel Aldrich Matteson was elected to succeed him. At this time in Illinois history the Lieutenant Governor was elected on a separate ballot from the governor. This would remain the case until the adoption of the 1970 constitution.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1856 was the eleventh election for this office. Democratic governor Joel Aldrich Matteson did not seek re-election. Former Democratic Congressman William Henry Bissell was nominated by the newly formed Republican Party at the Bloomington Convention. Former Whig Mayor of Chicago Buckner S. Morris was nominated on the Know-Nothing Party ticket. This was the first election of a Republican governor in Illinois history. At this time in Illinois history the Lieutenant Governor was elected on a separate ballot from the governor. This would remain the case until the adoption of the 1970 constitution.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1860 was the twelfth election for this office. Republican governor William Henry Bissell died early in his term, and incumbern governor John Wood did not seek re-election. Former Democratic Congressman and former Clerk of the U.S. House James C. Allen was the Democratic nominee. A Number of third-party candidates ran as well; none received over one percent of the vote. At this time in Illinois history the Lieutenant Governor was elected on a separate ballot from the governor. This would remain the case until the adoption of the 1970 constitution.
The Illinois gubernatorial election were held in November 1990. Republican candidate Jim Edgar won his first of two terms in office, defeating Democrat Neil Hartigan by a narrow margin of about 80,000 votes.
Gubernatorial elections were held in Illinois in November 7, 1978. Republican candidate James R. Thompson easily won a second term in office, defeating Democrat Michael Bakalis by nearly 600,000 votes. It was the first election that coincided with congressional midterm elections. The previous election had been in 1976.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1868 was the fourteenth election for this office. Republican nonimee, John M. Palmer defeated the Democratic nominee John R. Eden.
The Illinois gubernatorial election of 1872 was the fifteenth election for this office. Republican nonimee, Former Governor Richard J. Oglesby defeated the Democratic and Liberal Republican nominee Gustavus Koerner. B. G. Wells represented Independent Democrats unwilling to ally with Liberal Republicans. Oglesby had agreed to run for the Governorship but to resign upon being elected so that Lt. Governor John Lourie Beveridge could assume the office. Oglesby was in turn appointed to the U.S. Senate.
