Illinois gubernatorial election, 1976
Illinois gubernatorial election, 1976
![Illinois](../I/m/Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png)
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![](../I/m/Il_gub_1976.png)
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Red denotes a county carried by Thompson, Blue by Howlett. |
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Gubernatorial elections were held in Illinois in November 1976. Incumbent Governor lost renomination in favor of Secretary of State Michael J. Howlett, who was a Daley ally. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican James R. Thompson. This election was for a two-year term which would synchronize future gubernatorial elections with midterm election years, rather than presidential election years.
Results
1976 gubernatorial election, Illinois[1] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Republican |
James R. Thompson |
3,000,365 |
64.68 |
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Democratic |
Michael J. Howlett |
1,610,258 |
34.71 |
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Communist |
Ishmael Flory |
10,091 |
0.22 |
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Libertarian |
F. Joseph McCaffrey |
7,552 |
0.16 |
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Socialist Workers |
Suzanne Haig |
4,926 |
0.11 |
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Socialist Labor |
George LaForest |
3,147 |
0.07 |
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U.S. Labor |
Edward Waffle |
2,302 |
0.05 |
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N/A |
write-ins |
369 |
0.01 |
n-a |
Majority |
1,390,137 |
29.97 |
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Turnout |
3,150,107 |
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Republican gain from Democratic |
Swing |
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Democratic Primary
The incumbent Governor, Dan Walker, had a contentious relationship with the Daley Machine, which backed Secretary of State Michael J. Howlett. Walker carried most of the state's counties, but Howlett carried Cook county by a wide margin and was ultimately nominated.
![](../I/m/Il_Dem_Gub_primary_1976.png)
Dark Blue denotes a county carried by Howlett, and Light Blue by Walker.
1976 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Illinois[2] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
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Democratic |
Michael J. Howlett |
811,721 |
53.82 |
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Democratic |
Dan Walker (incumbent) |
696,380 |
46.17 |
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Democratic |
write-ins |
245 |
0.02 |
n-a |
Majority |
115,341 |
7.65 |
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Turnout |
1,508,346 |
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Republican Primary
Thompson won the Republican Primary in a landslide, carrying every county.
1976 Republican gubernatorial primary, Illinois[3] |
Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
±% |
|
Republican |
James R. Thompson |
625,457 |
86.44 |
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Republican |
Richard H. Cooper |
97,937 |
13.54 |
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Republican |
write-ins |
170 |
0.02 |
n-a |
Majority |
1,390,137 |
29.97 |
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Turnout |
3,150,107 |
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References
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