1990 Illinois gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{for|related races|1990 United States gubernatorial elections}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1990 Illinois gubernatorial election
| country = Illinois
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1986 Illinois gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1986
| next_election = 1994 Illinois gubernatorial election
| next_year = 1994
| election_date = November 6, 1990
| image1 = Secretary of State Jim Edgar (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Jim Edgar
| running_mate1 = Bob Kustra
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 1,653,126
| percentage1 = 50.75%
| image2 = File:Attorney General Neil Hartigan (cropped).jpg
| nominee2 = Neil Hartigan
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| running_mate2 = Jim Burns
| popular_vote2 = 1,569,217
| percentage2 = 48.17%
| map_image = {{switcher |x300px|County results |300px|Township results}}
| map_size = x300px
| map_caption = Edgar: {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}
Hartigan: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = James R. Thompson
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Jim Edgar
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
| turnout = 54.00% {{increase}} 1.63 pp
}}
{{ElectionsIL}}
The 1990 Illinois gubernatorial election occurred on November 6, 1990 to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Illinois. Republican Jim Edgar, the Illinois Secretary of State, narrowly defeated Democrat Neil Hartigan, the Illinois Attorney General, by about 80,000 votes out of the over 3.2 million cast.
The incumbent Republican governor, Jim Thompson, chose not to seek a fifth term, making this the first open-seat gubernatorial election in Illinois since 1952. As of 2024, this is the second-closest Illinois gubernatorial election in the last 40 years, with only the 2010 race having a narrower margin.
Background
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for federal elections (Senate and House), as well as those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1990 Illinois elections.
For the primaries, turnout for the gubernatorial primaries was 26.11%, with 1,570,596 votes cast and turnout for the lieutenant gubernatorial primaries was 21.67% with 1,303,250 votes cast.{{cite web |title=State of Illinois official vote cast at the primary election held on ... |year=1966 |url=https://archive.org/details/stateofillinoiso1990illi/mode/2up |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |access-date=8 April 2020}} For the general election, turnout was 54.00%, with 3,257,410 votes cast.{{cite web |title=State of Illinois official vote cast at the general election .. |year=1978 |url=https://archive.org/details/officialvote90illi/mode/2up |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |access-date=8 April 2020}}
Democratic primary
Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, running unopposed.
=Governor=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Neil F. Hartigan
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 802,901
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 802,901
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
= Lieutenant governor =
James B. Burns, future attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, won the Democratic nomination, running unopposed.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = James B. Burns
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 719,091
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 719,091
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
Republican primary
= Governor =
Illinois Secretary of State Jim Edgar defeated investor and conservative political activist Steve Baer, as well as perennial candidate Robert Marshall.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Republican gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jim Edgar
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 482,441
| percentage = 62.84
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Steve Baer
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 256,889
| percentage = 33.46
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Robert Marshall
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 28,365
| percentage = 3.69
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 767,695
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Lieutenant governor=
Illinois State Senator Bob Kustra won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Bob Kustra
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 584,121
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Henry Gillman
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 38
| percentage = 0.00
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 584,159
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
Solidarity primary
Only 13 votes were cast in the primary, all write in votes for Jeff W. Smith. The party, nevertheless, ultimately nominated Jessie Fields.
= Governor =
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Solidarity gubernatorial primary
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jeff W. Smith
| party = Write-in
| votes = 13
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 13
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
General election
= Debate =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ 1994 Iowa gubernatorial election debate |
| scope="col" | {{abbr|No.|Number}}
! scope="col" | Date ! scope="col" | Host ! scope="col" | Moderator ! scope="col" | Link ! scope="col"| Republican ! scope="col"| Democratic |
|---|
| colspan="5" rowspan="2" |Key: {{Colors|black|#90ff90| P }} Participant {{Colors|black|#FFFFDD| A }} Absent {{Colors|black|#ff9090| N }} Not invited {{Colors|black|#CCFFCC| I }} Invited {{color box|#f0e68c|W}} Withdrawn ! scope="col" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (US)}}"| ! scope="col" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}"| |
| scope="col" | Jim Edgar
! scope="col" | Neil Hartigan |
| 1
| style="white-space:nowrap;" | Oct. 19, 1990 | style="white-space:nowrap;" | League of Women Voters of Illinois | style="white-space:nowrap;" | | style="white-space:nowrap;" | [https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/illinois-gubernatorial-debate/140051 C-SPAN] | {{Yes|P}} | {{Yes|P}} |
=Results=
{{Election box begin | title=1990 gubernatorial election, Illinois}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Jim Edgar
|votes = 1,653,126
|percentage = 50.75
|change = -1.92
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Neil Hartigan
|votes = 1,569,217
|percentage = 48.17
|change = +41.53
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Solidarity Party (Illinois)
|candidate = Jessie Fields
|votes = 35,067
|percentage = 1.08
|change = -38.89
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 83,909
|percentage = 2.58
|change = -10.12
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 3,257,410
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{United States elections, 1990}}
{{Illinois elections}}
{{Illinois-stub}}