1842 Illinois gubernatorial election

{{short description|none}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1842 Illinois gubernatorial election

| country = Illinois

| type = presidential

| ongoing = Yes

| previous_election = 1838 Illinois gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1838

| next_election = 1846 Illinois gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1846

| election_date = August 1, 1842

| image1 = Thomas Ford (cropped).png

| nominee1 = Thomas Ford
(replacing Adam W. Snyder †)

| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 46,452

| percentage1 = 53.52%

| image2 = Joseph Duncan (cropped).png

| nominee2 = Joseph Duncan

| party2 = Whig Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 39,429

| percentage2 = 45.43%

| map_image = 1842 Illinois gubernatorial election results map by county.svg

| map_size = 150px

| map_caption = County Results

Ford:

{{legend0|#a5b0ff|40-50%}}

{{legend0|#7996e2|50-60%}}

{{legend0|#6674de|60-70%}}

{{legend0|#584cde|70-80%}}

{{legend0|#3933e5|80-90%}}

Duncan:

{{legend0|#fee391|40-50%}}

{{legend0|#fed463|50-60%}}

{{legend0|#FE9929|60-70%}}

{{legend0|#CC4C02|80-90%}}

{{legend0|#8C2D04|90-100%}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = Thomas Carlin

| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)

| after_election = Thomas Ford

| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

The 1842 Illinois gubernatorial election was the seventh quadrennial election for this office. Democrat Thomas Ford, who replaced the original Democratic nominee Adam W. Snyder following his death, defeated former Whig governor Joseph Duncan, who was running for a nonconsecutive second term.{{Cite book |last=Howard |first=Robert P. |title=Mostly Good and Competent Men |publisher=Institute for Public Affairs |year=1988 |isbn=0-938943-15-4 |edition=2nd |location=Springfield, Illinois |pages=61–62}}