1948 Illinois elections
← 1946 November 2, 1948 1950 →
Elections in Illinois
Federal government
U.S. Presidential elections
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House elections
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
Attorney General elections
Secretary of State elections
Comptroller elections
Senate elections
House of Representatives elections
Judicial elections
Ballot measures and referendums
Chicago
General elections
Mayoral elections
Aldermanic elections
Chicago Board of Education elections
Cicero
Municipal elections
Cook County
County elections

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 1948.[1]

Primaries were held April 13, 1948.[1][2]

Election information

Turnout

In the primaries, 1,649,655 ballots were cast (745,645 Democratic and 904,010 Republican).[1][2]

In the general election, 4,075,090 ballots were cast.[1]

Federal elections

United States President

Main article: 1948 United States presidential election in Illinois

See also: 1948 United States presidential election

Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Harry S. Truman and Alben W. Barkley.

United States Senate

Main article: 1948 United States Senate election in Illinois

See also: 1948 United States Senate elections

Incumbent Republican Charles W. Brooks lost reelection to Democrat Paul Douglas.

United States House

Main article: 1952 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois

See also: 1952 United States House of Representatives elections

All 26 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1948.

Illinois had redistricted before this election, eliminating its at-large district.

State elections

Governor

Main article: 1948 Illinois gubernatorial election
1948 Illinois gubernatorial election
← 1944 November 2, 1948 1952 →
 
Nominee Adlai Stevenson II Dwight H. Green
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,250,074 1,678,007
Percentage 57.11% 42.59%
County Results
Stevenson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Green:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%
Governor before election

Dwight H. Green
Republican

Elected Governor

Adlai Stevenson II
Democratic

Incumbent Governor Dwight H. Green, a Republican seeking a third term, lost reelection to Democrat Adlai Stevenson II.

Stevenson's victory was regarded as a surprise upset, and his margin of victory of 572,067 votes was, at the time, record breaking for an Illinois gubernatorial election.[3][4][5]

General election

Gubernatorial election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adlai E. Stevenson 2,250,074 57.11
Republican Dwight H. Green (incumbent) 1,678,007 42.59
Prohibition Willis Ray Wilson 9,491 0.24
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 2,673 0.07
Write-in Others 12 0.00
Total votes 3,940,257 100

Lieutenant governor

1948 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election
← 1944 November 2, 1948 1952 →
 
Nominee Sherwood Dixon Richard Yates Rowe
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,998,555 1,815,907
Percentage 52.22% 47.45%
Lieutenant Governor before election

Hugh W. Cross
Republican

Elected Lieutenant Governor

Sherwood Dixon
Democratic

Incumbent lieutenant governor Hugh W. Cross, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a third term. Democrat Sherwood Dixon was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sherwood Dixon 578,390 100
Total votes 578,390 100

Republican primary

Lieutenant gubernatorial Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Yates Rowe 684,452 100
Write-in Others 4 0.00
Total votes 684,464 100

General election

Lieutenant gubernatorial election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sherwood Dixon 1,998,555 52.22
Republican Richard Yates Rowe 1,815,907 47.45
Prohibition R. B. Campbell 9,949 0.26
Socialist Labor O. Alfred Olson 2,897 0.08
Write-in Others 3 0.00
Total votes 3,827,311 100

Attorney general

1948 Illinois Attorney General election
← 1944 November 2, 1948 1952 →
 
Nominee Ivan A. Elliott George F. Barrett
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,019,401 1,806,137
Percentage 52.61% 47.06%
Attorney General before election

George F. Barrett
Republican

Elected Attorney General

Ivan A. Elliott
Democratic

Incumbent attorney general George F. Barrett, a Republican running for a third term, lost to Democrat Ivan A. Elliott

Democratic primary

Attorney General Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ivan A. Elliott 283,831 51.85
Democratic Joseph P. Burke 263,586 48.15
Total votes 547,417 100

Republican primary

Attorney General Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George F. Barrett (incumbent) 694,186 100
Write-in Others 1 0.00
Total votes 694,187

General election

Attorney General election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ivan A. Elliott 2,019,401 52.61
Republican George F. Barrett (incumbent) 1,806,137 47.06
Prohibition Frederick Juchhoff 9,613 0.25
Socialist Labor Edward C. Gross 3,118 0.08
Write-in Others 4 0.00
Total votes 3,838,273 100

Secretary of State

1948 Illinois Secretary of State election
← 1944 November 2, 1948 1952 →
 
Nominee Edward J. Barrett William Stratton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,120,832 1,759,083
Percentage 54.49% 45.19%
Secretary of State before election

Edward J. Barrett
Democratic

Elected Secretary of State

Edward J. Barrett
Democratic

The Secretary of State Edward J. Barrett, a Democrat, was reelected to a second term.

Democratic primary

Secretary of State Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward J. Barrett (incumbent) 591,821 100
Total votes 591,821 100

Republican primary

Former Illinois Treasurer and incumbent congressman William Stratton won the Republican primary, running unopposed.

Secretary of State Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William G. Stratton 713,430 100
Write-in Others 2 0.00
Total votes 713,432

General election

Secretary of State election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Edward J. Barrett (incumbent) 2,120,832 54.49
Republican William G. Stratton 1,759,083 45.19
Prohibition Maude Swits Stowell 9,636 0.25
Socialist Labor Gregory P. Lyngas 2,896 0.07
Write-in Others 6 0.07
Total votes 3,892,453 100

Auditor of Public Accounts

1948 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election
← 1944 November 2, 1948 1952 →
 
Nominee Benjamin O. Cooper Sinon A. Murray
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,030,222 1,776,396
Percentage 53.15% 46.51%
Auditor of Public Accounts before election

Arthur C. Lueder
Republican

Elected Auditor of Public Accounts

Benjamin O. Cooper
Democratic

Incumbent Auditor of Public Accounts Arthur C. Lueder, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a third term. Democrat Benjamin O. Cooper was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Auditor of Public Accounts Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Benjamin O. Cooper 543,319 100
Total votes 543,319 100

Republican primary

Auditor of Public Accounts Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sinon A. Murray 648,460 100
Write-in Others 2 0.00
Total votes 648,462 100

General election

Auditor of Public Accounts election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Benjamin O. Cooper 2,030,222 53.15
Republican Sinon A. Murray 1,776,396 46.51
Prohibition Irving B. Gilbert 10,156 0.27
Socialist Labor Nick Mays 2,960 0.08
Write-in Others 2 0.0
Total votes 3,819,736 100

Treasurer

1948 Illinois State Treasurer election
← 1946 November 2, 1948 1950 →
 
Nominee Ora Smith Elmer H. Droste
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 2,026,268 1,769,775
Percentage 53.20% 46.46%
Treasurer before election

Richard Yates Rowe
Republican

Elected Treasurer

Ora Smith
Democratic

Incumbent first-term Treasurer Richard Yates Rowe, a Republican, did not seek reelection, instead opting to run for lieutenant governor. Democrat Ora Smith was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Treasurer Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ora Smith 541,808 100
Total votes 541,808 100

Republican primary

Treasurer Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elmer H. Droste 644,417 100
Total votes 644,417

General election

Treasurer election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ora Smith 2,026,268 53.20
Republican Elmer H. Droste 1,769,775 46.46
Prohibition Rupert J. Jordan 10,043 0.26
Socialist Labor Rudolph Kosie 3,024 0.08
Write-in Others 3 0.0
Total votes 3,809,113 100

State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1948. Republicans retained control of the chamber.

State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1948. Democrats flipped control of the chamber.

Trustees of University of Illinois

1948 Trustees of University of Illinois election
← 1946 November 2, 1948 1950 →

An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.[6] All three Democratic nominees won.[6] The election was for six-year terms.

4,078,146 ballots were cast in the election.[6]

All three who were elected had never before held office as Trustees of the University of Illinois.[7] Incumbent Republican Chester R. Davis lost reelection.[7] Fellow Republican incumbents Martin Gerard Luken Sr. and Frank Hotchkiss McKelvey were not nominated for what would have been a second term.[7]

Trustees of the University of Illinois election[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Z. Hickman 1,952,705½ 17.25
Democratic Frances Best Watkins 1,933,764½ 16.95
Democratic George Wirt Herrick 1,918,521 16.95
Republican Chester R. Davis (incumbent) 1,860,339 16.43
Republican Dr. W. L. Crawford 1,837,011 16.23
Republican Charles L. Engstrom 1,781,733½ 15.74
Prohibition E.N. Himmel 11,417½ 0.10
Prohibition Regina Ethel Ruyle 10,988 0.10
Prohibition Ross E. Price 10,890½ 0.10
Socialist Labor Loren M. Johnson 3,332 0.03
Socialist Labor Bernard Campbell 3,222 0.03
Socialist Labor Henry Cortez 3,139 0.03
Write-in Others 2 0.00
Total votes 11,321,024½ 100

Judicial elections

1948 Illinois judicial elections
← 1947
1949 →

Special judicial elections were held to fill vacancies.

Circuit Courts

Tenth Judicial Circuit (vacancy caused by resignation of Joseph E. Daily)
Tenth Judicial Circuit (vacancy caused by resignation of Joseph E. Daily)[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Howard White 52,182 52.06
Democratic Baird V. Helfrich 48,062 47.95
Total votes 100,244 100
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (vacancy caused by death of Frank H. Hayes)

This election was held on November 2, 1948.[6]

Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (vacancy caused by death of Frank H. Hayes)[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert E. Larkin 37,341 53.76
Republican S J Holderman 32,118 46.24
Total votes 69,459 100

Local elections

Local elections were held.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the General Election, November 2, 1948 Judicial elections, 1947–1948, • Primary Election General Primary, April 13, 1948" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 11, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Illinois Blue Book 1947-1948. Illinois Secretary of State. p. 747. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "Stevenson, Adlai E. II". mchistory.org. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  4. ^ McKeever, Porter (1989). Adlai Stevenson: His Life and Legacy. New York: William Morrow and Company. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-688-06661-1.
  5. ^ Whitney, Alan (July 15, 2009). "Stevenson of Illinois". The Nation. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Illinois Blue Book 1949-1950. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 745–46, 785. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
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