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1940 Illinois elections

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →

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v t e

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, 1940.

Primaries were held April 9, 1940.

While the Democratic ticket of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry A. Wallace won the state's electors in the presidential election, the election overall saw significant victories for the Republican Party. The Republican Party retained their control of the Illinois House, and flipped control of the Illinois Senate, as well as control of the executive offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor of Public Accounts, and Treasurer, all of which had previously been under Democratic Party control. Democrats retained their hold on the executive office of Secretary of State. Additionally, Republicans won all seats up for election on the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Republicans also won the state's special United States Senate election and flipped 6 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Election information

Turnout

In the primaries, 2,647,467 ballots were cast (1,503,706 Democratic and 1,143,761 Republican).

In the general election, 4,262,196 ballots were cast.

Federal elections

United States President

Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry A. Wallace.

United States Senate

Republican Charles W. Brooks unseated Democrat James M. Slattery, who had been appointed to the seat left vacant by the death in office of Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis.

United States House

All 27 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1940.

Republicans flipped six Democratic-held seats, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation 16 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

State elections

Governor

1940 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1944 →

Nominee Dwight H. Green Harry B. Hershey Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,197,778 1,940,833 Percentage 52.93% 46.74%

County Results Green:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Hershey:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Henry Horner (before primary) Democratic John Henry Stelle (before general election) Democratic Elected Governor Dwight H. Green Republican

Before the primary, incumbent governor Henry Horner, a Democrat, opted not to seek a third term. In October, before the general election, his death in office made John Henry Stelle assume the governorship. However, Stelle had previously failed to win the Democratic nomination in the primary.

Republican Dwight H. Green won the election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Harry B. Hershey, former mayor of Taylorville
• Albert Lagerstedt, unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination in 1938 United States Senate election in Illinois
• Robert W. McKinlay
• James O. Monroe
• John H. Stelle, incumbent lieutenant governor of Illinois

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Dwight H. Green, Republican nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1939
• Richard J. Lyons, former Illinois state representative

General election

Lieutenant governor

1940 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1944 →

Nominee Hugh W. Cross Louie E. Lewis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,073,679 1,955,834 Percentage 51.27% 48.36%

Lieutenant Governor before election John Henry Stelle (before primary) Democratic Party Vacant (before general election) Elected Lieutenant Governor Hugh W. Cross Republican

Incumbent lieutenant governor John Henry Stelle, a Democrat, did not seek reelection to a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Republican Hugh W. Cross was elected to succeed him.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Louie E. Lewis, Illinois treasurer
• George M. Maypole, Illinois state senator

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• John V. Clinnin, unsuccessful candidate for Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 1936
• Guy C. Crapple
• Hugh W. Cross, State Representative
• Charles Hindley
• William C. Jerome
• Arnold L. Lund, Republican nominee for the 6th congressional district in 1934
• Earle Benjamin Searcy, Illinois state senator

Results

General election

Attorney general

1940 Illinois Attorney General election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1944 →

Nominee George F. Barrett Harold G. Ward Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,061,807 1,956,744 Percentage 51.12% 48.51%

Attorney General before election John Edward Cassidy Democratic Elected Attorney General George F. Barrett Republican

Incumbent Attorney General John Edward Cassidy, a Democrat appointed in 1938 after fellow Democrat Otto Kerner Sr. resigned to accept a federal judgeship, did not seek reelection to a full term. Republican George F. Barrett was elected to succeed him.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

Candidates

• George F. Barrett
• Oscar E. Carlstrom, former Illinois attorney general
• Frank R. Eagleton, former assistant Illinois attorney general
• Charles W. Hadley
• Edward A. Hayes, former commander of The American Legion
• George Landon

Results

General election

Secretary of State

1940 Illinois Secretary of State election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1944 →

Nominee Edward J. Hughes Justus L. Johnson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,095,698 1,962,405 Percentage 51.46% 48.19%

County results Hughes:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Johnson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Secretary of State before election Edward J. Hughes Democratic Elected Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes Democratic

Incumbent second-term Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes, a Democrat, was reelected.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

Justus L. Johnson won the Republican primary, defeating businessman Richard Yates Rowe and Illinois state senator Arthur J. Bidwill.

General election

Auditor of Public Accounts

1940 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1944 →

Nominee Arthur C. Lueder John C. Martin Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,027,571 1,988,366 Percentage 50.30% 49.33%

Auditor of Public Accounts before election Edward J. Barrett Democratic Elected Auditor of Public Accounts Arthur C. Lueder Republican

Incumbent third-term Auditor of Public Accounts Edward J. Barrett, lost renomination in the Democratic primary. Republican Arthur C. Lueder was elected to succeed him.

Democratic primary

Incumbent Edward J. Barrett narrowly lost renomination to U.S. congressman and former Illinois state treasurer John C. Martin.

Republican primary

Candidates

• John William Chapman, former Chicago alderman
• Henry G. Hansen
• Arthur C. Lueder, former Chicago postmaster and Republican nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1923
• William R. McCauley
• Oscar Nelson, former Illinois auditor of public accounts, former Chicago alderman, former interim president of the Building Service Employees International Union
• Edward A. O'Connor
• Charles W. Vail
• Edward T. O'Connor

Results

General election

Treasurer

1940 Illinois State Treasurer election

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →

Nominee Warren Wright Homer Mat Adams Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,030,513 1,983,667 Percentage 50.40% 49.24%

Treasurer before election Louie E. Lewis Democratic Elected Treasurer Warren Wright Republican

Incumbent first-term Treasurer Louie E. Lewis, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, instead running for lieutenant governor. Republican Warren Wright was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1940. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.

State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1940. Republicans retained control of the chamber.

University of Illinois trustees

1940 University of Illinois trustees elections

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →
4 out of 9 seats on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees 5 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Seats before 9 0 Seats after 5 4 Seat change 4 4 Popular vote 7,717,234 7,900,386½ Percentage 49.27% 50.44% Swing 5.99% 2.59% Seats up 4 0 Races won 0 4

An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois to six year terms, and a special election was held to fill the partial term of a seat that was vacated. Republicans swept all four seats in the two elections. The election was for six-year terms.

Regular election

1940 University of Illinois trustees (regular election)

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →
3 out of 9 seats on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,957,269 5,806,332 Percentage 50.44% 49.16% Swing 2.59% 2.61% Seats up 0 3 Races won 3 0

An election was held for three six-year terms to the board.

Former two-term Republican member Helen M. H. Grigsby was returned to the board. New Republican members John R. Fornof and Park Livingston were elected to the board.

Incumbent first-term Democrat Marie Coyle Plumb lost reelection.

First-term Democrats Oscar G. Mayer Sr. and Harold Pogue did not seek reelection.

Marie Coyle Plumb was listed on the ballot as "Mrs. Glenn E. Plumb", and Beulah Campbell was listed as "Belulah (Mrs. Bruce A.) Campbell".

Special election

1940 University of Illinois trustee special election

← 1936 November 5, 1940 1942 →

Nominee Chester R. Davis Kenney E. Williamson Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,943,117 1,910,902 Percentage 50.42% 49.58%

Trustee before election Kenney E. Williamson Democratic Elected Trustee Chester R. Davis Republican

A special election was held to fill the term left vacant by the death in office of Democrat Louis Conrad Moschel in 1940. Republican Chester R. Davis was elected, defeating incumbent Kenny E. Williamson (who had been appointed to hold the seat after the death of Moschel).

Judicial elections

On June 3, 1940, an election was held for judges of the Superior Court of Cook County.

On November 5, 1940, an election was held to fill a vacancy on the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Ballot measure

A legislatively referred state statute was brought before the voters.

Illinois Banking Law Amendment

Voters approved the Illinois Banking Law Amendment, a legislatively referred state statute which made it easier to establish new banks in small municipalities that lack banks. It amended sections 11 and 12 of the general banking law.

Local elections

Local elections were held.

Notes

^A 5,806,332½ in regular election and 1,910,902 in special election

^B 5,957,269½ in regular election and 1,943,117 in special election

^C 49.16% of regular election and 49.58% of special election

^D 50.44% of regular election and 50.42% of special election

References

1. ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 5, 1940 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1939–1940 PRIMARY ELECTION General Primary, APRIL 9, 1940" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
2. "It's always campaign season". The Visual Journal. November 24, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
3. "County of Will v. State, 5 Ill. Ct. Cl. 249 (1927) | Caselaw Access Project". cite.case.law. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
4. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 6, 1934 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1933-34 PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 10, 1934" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
5. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 3, 1936 PRIMARY ELECTIONS GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 14, 1936 PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, APRIL 14, 1936" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
6. ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, November 8, 1938 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1937-1938 PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, April 12, 1938" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
7. ^ "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
8. "Illinois General Banking Law Amendment (1940)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 10, 2020.

• 1940 Illinois elections
• 1940 elections in the United States by state
• 1940 state legislature elections in the United States