2014 United States Senate election in Illinois
← 2008 November 4, 2014 2020 →
Turnout48.16%
 
Nominee Dick Durbin Jim Oberweis
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,929,637 1,538,522
Percentage 53.55% 42.69%
County results
Durbin:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Oberweis:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
U.S. senator before election

Dick Durbin
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Dick Durbin
Democratic

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

The 2014 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Illinois, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin ran for re-election to a fourth term.[1] He was unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Republicans nominated state senator and perennial candidate for higher office Jim Oberweis.

Durbin defeated Oberweis and Libertarian Sharon Hansen with 53.5% of the vote, the smallest vote total of any of his Senate elections.

Election information

The primaries and general elections coincided with those for House and those for state offices.

Background

Dick Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and was re-elected by increasingly larger margins in 2002 and 2008. He has served as Senate Majority Whip since 2007 and sought a fourth term in office.[1]

Turnout

See also: 2014 Illinois elections § Turnout

For the primary election, turnout was 15.77%, with 1,183,429 votes cast.[2][3] For the general election, turnout was 48.16%, with 3,603,519 votes cast.[2][3]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dick Durbin (incumbent) 429,041 100.00%
Total votes 429,041 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Removed

Declined

Endorsements

Doug Truax

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Jim
Oberweis 		Doug
Truax 		Other Undecided
Market Shares Corp. February 5–8, 2014 600 ± 4% 52% 15% 2% 32%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Chad
Koppie 		William
Lee 		Jim
Oberweis 		Joe
Ruiz 		Doug
Truax 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 375 ± 5.1% 3% 4% 42% 1% 7% — 42%

Results

Results by county
  Oberweis
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Truax
  •   50–60%
Republican primary results[3][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Oberweis 423,097 56.08%
Republican Doug Truax 331,237 43.91%
Republican Write-in 54 <0.01%
Total votes 754,388 100.00%

Independents and Third Party

Candidates

Declared

Removed from the ballot

General election

Fundraising

Campaign Finance Reports through November 24, 2014
Candidate Raised Spent
Dick Durbin $10,309,888 $12,453,951
Jim Oberweis $2,388,389 $2,416,774
Sharon Hansen $2,420 $2,367
Source: OpenSecrets[17]

Debates

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[18] Solid D November 3, 2014
Sabato's Crystal Ball[19] Safe D November 3, 2014
Rothenberg Political Report[20] Safe D November 3, 2014
Real Clear Politics[21] Likely D November 3, 2014

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Jim
Oberweis (R) 		Other Undecided
We Ask America September 24, 2013 1,434 ± 2.86% 50% 39% — 11%
Public Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 557 ± 4.2% 51% 36% — 12%
Rasmussen Reports April 9–10, 2014 750 ± 4% 51% 37% 3% 10%
We Ask America June 12, 2014 1,116 ± 2.93% 52% 39% — 9%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov July 5–24, 2014 5,324 ± 2.1% 48% 41% 1% 11%
We Ask America July 30, 2014 1,049 ± 3.04% 53% 38% — 9%
Gravis Marketing August 4–5, 2014 567 ± 4% 48% 38% — 14%
Harper Polling* August 25–27, 2014 1,340 ± 2.68% 44% 38% 8%[22] 10%
We Ask America August 27, 2014 1,054 ± 3.02% 48% 41% 4%[22] 8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov August 18 – September 2, 2014 4,363 ± 3% 50% 38% 1% 10%
We Ask America September 4, 2014 1,014 ± 3.08% 49% 39% 4%[22] 8%
Chicago Tribune September 3–12, 2014 800 ± 3.5% 55% 32% 5%[22] 7%
Rasmussen Reports September 24–25, 2014 750 ± 4% 51% 37% 4% 8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov September 20 – October 1, 2014 3,955 ± 2% 51% 39% 0% 9%
We Ask America October 7, 2014 1,086 ± 2.98% 51% 38% 4%[22] 6%
UIS Survey Research October 2–8, 2014 723 ± 3.7% 50% 35% 1% 14%
Southern Illinois University September 23 – October 15, 2014 691 LV ± 3.7% 47% 37% 0% 12%
1,006 RV ± 3% 49% 32% 0% 14%
APC Research October 16–21, 2014 800 ± 3.5% 50% 36% 7%[23] 6%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov October 16–23, 2014 3,519 ± 3% 52% 39% 1% 9%
McKeon & Associates October 28, 2014 823 ± 3.9% 49% 39% 4%[22] 8%
Public Policy Polling November 1–2, 2014 1,064 ± 3% 51% 41% 4%[22] 4%
52% 44% — 4%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Bob
Dold (R) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 26–28, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 54% 33% — 13%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Patrick
Hughes (R) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 26–28, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 53% 31% — 16%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Chad
Koppie (R) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 557 ± 4.2% 52% 35% — 13%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Doug
Truax (R) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 557 ± 4.2% 51% 33% — 16%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Joe
Walsh (R) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 26–28, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 54% 29% — 17%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Dick
Durbin (D) 		Generic
Republican 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling November 26–28, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 52% 38% — 10%

Results

Durbin won the election, despite winning only 14 of Illinois' 102 counties.[24]

United States Senate election in Illinois, 2014[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Dick Durbin (incumbent) 1,929,637 53.55% -14.29%
Republican Jim Oberweis 1,538,522 42.69% +14.16%
Libertarian Sharon Hansen 135,316 3.76% +2.82%
Write-in 44 0.00% N/A
Total votes 3,603,519 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Pearson, Rick (March 8, 2013). "Durbin telling top Democrats he'll seek re-election in 2014". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Voter Turnout". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Election Results". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Pearson, Rick (November 22, 2013). "Oberweis to run for U.S. Senate seat held by Durbin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  5. ^ Held, Kevin (July 15, 2013). "Doug Truax announces challenge for Durbin's U.S. Senate seat". KSDK.com. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Unknown Republicans File for Illinois Governor, US Senate, Legislature". Illinois Observer. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Republican Candidate For Governor Kicked Off The Ballot". WUIS 919. January 10, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  8. ^ Huston, Warner Todd (April 15, 2013). "An Interview With Chad Koppie, Running for U.S. Senate From Illinois". Publius Forum. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  9. ^ Riopell, Mike (August 30, 2013). "Walsh weighing a bid for Durbin's U.S. Senate seat". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Choose Truax to challenge Durbin Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2014
  11. ^ Official Illinois State Board of Elections Results Archived January 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  12. ^ "Fuji Shioura". Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  13. ^ "Sharon Hansen". Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  14. ^ "Who is Chad Koppie?". Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  15. ^ "Campaign 2014". Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  16. ^ Illinois Green Party on Sidelines in November Pantagraph.com, August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014
  17. ^ Open Secrets | Elections | U.S. Senate opensecrets.org
  18. ^ "2014 Senate Race Ratings for November 3, 2014". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  19. ^ "The Crystal Ball's Final 2014 Picks". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  20. ^ "2014 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  21. ^ "2014 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2014". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Sharon Hansen (L)
  23. ^ Sharon Hansen (L) 6%, Other 1%
  24. ^ Newman, James (November 5, 2014). "Quinn/Rauner a Squeaker? Durbin/Oberweis a Cakewalk? Think Again". NIU Today. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  25. ^ "November 4, 2014 General election Official results" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2014.

External links

(2013 โ†) ย  2014 United States elections ย  (โ†’ 2015)
Elections in Illinois
Categories