1936 Illinois elections

← 1934 November 3, 1936 1938 →

Elections in Illinois
Federal government U.S. Presidential elections 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 Dem 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Dem Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate elections 1818 1819 1823 1824 1824 sp 1825 1830 sp 1831 1835 1837 1843 1846 1849 1849 sp 1853 1859 1861 1863 sp 1867 1879 1882 1885 1885 sp 1887 sp 1888 1890 1894 1896 1897 1901 1903 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1928 sp 1930 1932 1936 1938 1940 sp 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1970 sp 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2010 sp 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House elections 1818 1819 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1831 1832 1834 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1859 6th sp 1860 1861 6th sp 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1871 AL sp 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1895 10th sp 18th sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 4th sp 1920 1922 AL sp 1923 2nd sp 4th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 19th sp 1946 1948 1950 1952 1953 7th sp 1954 1956 1957 7th sp 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 13th sp 1970 6th sp 1972 15th sp 1973 7th sp 1974 1975 5th sp 1976 1978 1980 10th sp 1982 1983 1st sp 1984 1985 14th sp 1986 1988 21st sp 1990 1991 15th sp 1992 1994 1995 2nd sp 1996 1998 2000 1st 2002 2004 2006 2008 14th sp 2009 5th sp 2010 17th 2012 2013 2nd sp 2014 2015 18th sp 2016 2018 2020 2022 1st 2024
State government General elections 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections 1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 Attorney General elections 2018 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Comptroller elections 2016 Senate elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 1964 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Judicial elections 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures and referendums State capitol referendum (1834) Cutback Amendment (1980) Crime Victim Rights Amendment (1992) Illinois Governor Recall Amendment (2010) Public Pension Amendment (2012) Marsy's Law (2014) Right to Vote Amendment (2014) Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment (2016) Fair Tax (2020) Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment (2022)
Chicago General elections 2019 2023 Mayoral elections 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1876 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 1893 sp 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1977 sp 1979 1983 1987 1989 sp 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Aldermanic elections 1923 1925 1927 1929 2011 2015 2019 2023 Chicago Board of Education elections 2024 2026
Cicero Municipal elections 1924
Cook County County elections 1946 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
v t e

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 3, 1936.^[1]

Primaries were held April 14, 1936.^[1]

The elections overall saw a strong performance by the Democratic Party.

Democrats retained their control of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and all statewide executive offices, winning all the statewide executive offices by broad margins. Democrats swept the election for University of Illinois trustees. Democrats also carried the state in the presidential election. Democratic United States senator J. Hamilton Lewis was reelected. Democrats retained all 21 U.S. congressional seats they held in the state, while Republicans retained all 6 seats they held.

Election information

Turnout

In the primaries, 2,674,613 ballots were cast (1,597,418 Democratic and 1,077,195 Republican).^[1]

In the general election, 3,995,088 ballots were cast.^[1]

Federal elections

United States President

Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.

United States Senate

Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis won reelection to a second consecutive, and third overall, term in the United States Senate.

United States House

All 27 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1936.

No seats switched parties. The partisan makeup of the state's United States House of Representatives delegation remained 21 Democrats and 6 Republicans.

State elections

Governor

1936 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →

Nominee Henry Horner C. Wayland Brooks Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,067,861 1,682,685 Percentage 53.13% 43.24%

County Results Horner:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Brooks:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Henry Horner Democratic Elected Governor Henry Horner Democratic

Incumbent first-term governor Henry Horner, a Democrat, won reelection.

Democratic primary

The Chicago political machine unsuccessfully ran Chicago Board of Health president Herman Bundesen against the incumbent Henry Horner in retribution for Horner having vetoed a bill that would have allowed bookies to legally operate, a bill favored by Chicago political bosses such as Edward J. Kelly.^[2]

Candidates

• Herman Bundesen, Chicago Board of Health president and Chicago health commissioner, former Cook County coroner^[2]
• Henry Horner, incumbent governor
• James Fred Robertson, 1934 U.S. congress candidate and 1935 Chicago mayoral candidate^[3]

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• C. Wayland Brooks
• Oscar E. Carlstrom, former Illinois attorney general
• George W. Dowell, Progressive nominee for Illinois's 25th congressional district in 1914^[4][5]
• Thomas P. Gunning, Illinois state senator
• J. Paul Kuhn
• John G. Oglesby, former lieutenant governor of Illinois (publicly withdrew before primary)^[1]
• Len Small, former governor of Illinois

General election

Challenging both Democratic nominee Henry Horner and Republican nominee Charles W. Brooks, Republican former Chicago mayor William Hale Thompson ran on the Union Progressive Party of Illinois' ballot line. There were also several other minor candidates.

Lieutenant governor

1936 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →

Nominee John Henry Stelle George Hatzenbuhler Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,103,226 1,539,342 Percentage 56.17% 41.11%

Lieutenant Governor before election Thomas Donovan Democratic Elected Lieutenant Governor John Henry Stelle Democratic

Incumbent first-term lieutenant governor Thomas Donovan, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Democrat John Henry Stelle was elected to succeed him.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John Edward Cassidy, attorney
• Isaac Epstein
• John Henry Stelle, Illinois treasurer
• John L. McCormack

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• John V. Clinnin
• Harry F. Hamlin
• George Hatzenbuhler
• James A. McCallum
• Theodore D. Smith
• A. Lincoln Wisler

Results

General election

Attorney general

1936 Illinois Attorney General election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →

Nominee Otto Kerner Sr. Charles W. Hadley Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,116,673 1,531,842 Percentage 56.47% 40.87%

Attorney General before election Otto Kerner Sr. Democratic Elected Attorney General Otto Kerner Sr. Democratic

Incumbent first-term Attorney General Otto Kerner Sr., a Democrat, was reelected.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

No candidates ran in the Republican primary. The party ultimately nominated Charles W. Hadley, who had been the distant runner-up in the Democratic primary.^[1]

General election

Secretary of State

1936 Illinois Secretary of State election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →

Nominee Edward J. Hughes William J. Stratton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,120,071 1,576,939 Percentage 55.95% 41.62%

Secretary of State before election Edward J. Hughes Democratic Elected Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes Democratic

Incumbent first-term Democratic Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes, a Democrat, was reelected.

Hughes faced Republican former secretary of state William J. Stratton in a rematch of the 1932 race.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

Auditor of Public Accounts

1936 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →

Nominee Edward J. Barrett Arthur J. Bidwill Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,107,911 1,561,920 Percentage 56.06% 41.54%

Auditor of Public Accounts before election Edward J. Barrett Democratic Elected Auditor of Public Accounts Edward J. Barrett Democratic

Incumbent first-term Auditor of Public Accounts Edward J. Barrett, a Democrat, was reelected.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

State senator Arthur J. Bidwill won the Republican nomination, defeating, among others, fellow state senator Earle Benjamin Searcy.

Results

General election

Treasurer

1936 Illinois State Treasurer election

← 1934 November 3, 1936 1938 →

Nominee John C. Martin Clarence F. Buck Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,090,130 1,561,124 Percentage 55.86% 41.72%

Treasurer before election John Henry Stelle Democratic Elected Treasurer John C. Martin Democratic

Incumbent first-term Treasurer John Henry Stelle, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, instead running for lieutenant governor. Democrat John C. Martin was elected to succeed him in office, granting Martin a second nonconsecutive term as Illinois Treasurer.

Democratic primary

Former Illinois Treasurer, John C. Martin, won the Democratic primary.

Republican primary

Former Illinois state senator Clarence F. Buck won the Republican nomination defeating businessman Anton J. Johnson, former U.S. congressman and former Illinois Treasurer Edward E. Miller, among others.

General election

State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1940. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1940. Democrats retained control of the chamber. Cumulative voting and 59 three-seat districts were used in this election. Member(s) of both of the two main parties were elected in each district.

Trustees of University of Illinois

An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois to six year terms.^[1][6] Democrats swept all three seats.^[1][6]

All three incumbents whose terms were expiring (second-term Republican George A. Barr, first-term Republican Edward E. Barrett, and first-term Democrat Walter W. Winslow) were not nominated for reelection.^[1][6]

New Democratic members Homer Mat Adams, James Mansfield Cleary, and Louis C. Moschel were elected.^[1][6]

Judicial elections

Supreme Court

One seat on the Illinois Supreme Court had an election on June 1, 1936.

5th district election

Republican Clyde E. Stone was reelected.

Circuit Courts

Several special elections were held November 3, 1936 for the Illinois Circuit Courts.

Robert J. Dunne was defeated John F. Tyrrell (1,157,312 votes to 709,625 votes) in a nonpartisan race to fill the vacancy left on the Circuit Court of Cook County by the resignation of fellow Democrat Francis S. Wilson.^[1]

Democratic nominee Grendel F. Bennett defeated Republican nominee V. W. McIntire (50,216 votes to 42,026 votes) to fill the 5th district vacancy left by the resignation of Craig Van Meter.^[1]

Democratic nominee Horace H. Baker defeated Republican nominee Lester H. Martin (43,987 votes to 43,877 votes) to fill the 11th district vacancy left by death of Peter Murphy.^[1]

Democratic nominee Francis J. Coyle defeated Republican nominee Albert M. Crampton (51,609 votes to 50,163 votes) to fill the 14th district vacancy left by death of J. Paul Califf.^[1]

Despite dying before the election, Republican nominee William J. Emerson defeated Democratic nominee James B. Sheean (38,712 votes to 30,184 votes) to fill the 15th district vacancy left by death of Frank T. Sheean.^[1]

Local elections

Local elections were held.