1976 Illinois gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{for|related races|1976 United States gubernatorial elections}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election
| country = Illinois
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1972 Illinois gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1972
| next_election = 1978 Illinois gubernatorial election
| next_year = 1978
| election_date = November 2, 1976
| image1 = File:Governor James Thompson (3x4).jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Jim Thompson
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| running_mate1 = Dave O'Neal
| popular_vote1 = 3,000,395
| percentage1 = 64.68%
| image2 = File:Michael J. Howlett (Illinois Blue Book Portrait 1971-1972) (cropped).png
| nominee2 = Michael Howlett
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| running_mate2 = Neil Hartigan
| popular_vote2 = 1,610,258
| percentage2 = 34.71%
| map_image = 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
| map_size = 300px
| map_caption = County results
Thompson: {{legend0|#e27f7f|50-60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60-70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70-80%}} {{legend0|#c21b18|80-90%}}
Howlett: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = Dan Walker
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election = James R. Thompson
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
| turnout = 74.18% {{decrease}} 1.1 pp
}}
{{ElectionsIL}}
The 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 2, 1976.{{cite web |title=OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1976 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH, 16, 1976 |url=https://www.elections.il.gov/DocDisplay.aspx?doc=Downloads/ElectionOperations/VoteTotals/Archived/1976/1976%20GE%20and%20PE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714180655/https://www.elections.il.gov/DocDisplay.aspx?doc=Downloads/ElectionOperations/VoteTotals/Archived/1976/1976%20GE%20and%20PE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 14, 2021 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |access-date=26 June 2020 }} Incumbent first-term Democratic governor Dan Walker lost renomination to Illinois Secretary of State Michael Howlett, who was an ally of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican nominee James R. Thompson. This election was the first of seven consecutive Republican gubernatorial victories in Illinois, a streak not broken until the election of Democrat Rod Blagojevich in 2002.
This election is the most recent time an Illinois gubernatorial election was held concurrently with a Presidential election.
Background
This election was for a two-year term which would synchronize future gubernatorial elections with midterm election years, rather than presidential election years, as the 1970 Constitution of Illinois required gubernatorial elections to be held in midterm election years starting in 1978.{{cite web|author=w |url=http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con5.htm |title=Illinois Constitution – Article V |publisher=Ilga.gov |access-date=2015-04-04}} The previous election had been in 1972.
The primaries (held on March 16) and general election coincided with those for federal offices (United States President and House) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1976 Illinois elections.
Turnout in the primaries saw 38.79% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,231,910 votes cast, and 33.89% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,949,469 votes cast. Turnout during the general election was 74.18%, with 4,639,010 votes cast.
Democratic primary
=Governor=
The incumbent Governor, Dan Walker, had a contentious relationship with the Daley Machine, which backed Secretary of State Michael Howlett. Walker carried most of the state's counties, but Howlett carried Cook county by a wide margin and was ultimately nominated.
[[File:1976_Illinois_Democratic_gubernatorial_primary_results.svg|thumb|center|County map of the 1976 Illinois Democratic gubernatorial primary
Howlett: {{legend0|#ffb380|50-60%}} {{legend0|#ff9955|60-70%}}
Walker: {{legend0|#ac9393|50-60%}} {{legend0|#916f6f|60-70%}} {{legend0|#6c5353|70-80%}} {{legend0|#483737|80-90%}}.]]
{{Election box begin | title=1976 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Illinois}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Michael J. Howlett
|votes = 811,721
|percentage = 53.82
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Dan Walker (incumbent)
|votes = 696,380
|percentage = 46.17
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Write-in
|candidate = Others
|votes = 245
|percentage = 0.02
|change = n-a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 115,341
|percentage = 7.65
|change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 1,508,346
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
= Lieutenant governor =
Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Neil Hartigan was renominated, defeating Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner Joanne H. Alter.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Neil F. Hartigan (incumbent)
| votes = 857,910
| percentage = 66.29
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Joanne H. Alter
| votes = 436,322
| percentage = 33.71
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Write-in
| candidate = Others
| votes = 29
| percentage = 0.00
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 1,294,232
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
Republican primary
=Governor=
Thompson won the Republican Primary in a landslide, carrying every county.
{{Election box begin | title=1976 Republican gubernatorial primary, Illinois}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = James R. Thompson
|votes = 625,457
|percentage = 86.44
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard H. Cooper
|votes = 97,937
|percentage = 13.54
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = write-ins
|votes = 170
|percentage = 0.02
|change = n-a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 527,484
|percentage = 29.97
|change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 723,564
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Lieutenant governor=
Dave O'Neal won the Republican primary, defeating Joan G. Anderson.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = David C. O'Neal
| votes = 376,126
| percentage = 57.40
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Joan G. Anderson
| votes = 279,087
| percentage = 42.59
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Write-in
| candidate = Others
| votes = 24
| percentage = 0.00
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 655,237
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
File:Springfield (1976-10-16)(a).jpg on a whistle stop in Springfield]]
{{Election box begin | title=1976 gubernatorial election, Illinois}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = James R. Thompson/Dave O'Neal
|votes = 3,000,365
|percentage = 64.68
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Michael J. Howlett/Neil F. Hartigan
|votes = 1,610,258
|percentage = 34.71
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Communist Party USA
|candidate = Ishmael Flory/Linda R. Appelhans
|votes = 10,091
|percentage = 0.22
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = F. Joseph McCaffrey/Georgia E. Shields
|votes = 7,552
|percentage = 0.16
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Socialist Workers Party (United States)
|candidate = Suzanne Haig/Dennis Brasky
|votes = 4,926
|percentage = 0.11
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Socialist Labor Party
|candidate = George LaForest/Stanley A. Prorok
|votes = 3,147
|percentage = 0.07
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Edward Waffle/Peter Matni
|votes = 2,302
|percentage = 0.05
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Write-in
|candidate = Others
|votes = 369
|percentage = 0.01
|change = n-a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 1,390,137
|percentage = 29.97
|change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 4,639,010
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|loser = Democratic Party (United States)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{United States elections, 1976}}
{{Illinois elections}}