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1968 United States Senate election in Illinois

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1968 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1970 (special) →
Turnout78.39%
 
Nominee Everett M. Dirksen William G. Clark
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,358,947 2,073,242
Percentage 53.01% 46.59%

County results
Dirksen:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%
Clark:      50–60%

Senator before election

Everett M. Dirksen
Republican

Elected Senator

Everett M. Dirksen
Republican

The 1968 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 5, 1968[1] to elect one of Illinois's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen won re-election to his fourth term.

Background

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The primaries and general election coincided with those for other federal (United States president and House) and those for state elections.

Primaries were held on June 11.[1][2]

Turnout in the primary elections was 23.90%, with a total of 1,303,375 votes cast.[1][3]

Turnout during the general election was 78.39%, with 4,449,757 votes cast.[1]

Democratic primary

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Illinois Attorney General William G. Clark won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.

Democratic primary[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William G. Clark 627,361 99.97
Write-in Others 218 0.04
Total votes 627,579 100

Republican primary

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Incumbent U.S. Senator, and Senate Minority Leader, Everett M. Dirksen, won renomination over Roy C. Johnson.

Republican primary[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett McKinley Dirksen (incumbent) 622,710 92.15
Republican Roy C. Johnson 53,069 7.85
Write-in Others 17 0.00
Total votes 675,796 100

General election

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Results

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Dirksen carried 99 of the state's 102 counties.[1] Clark, however, carried the state's most populous county, Cook County, taking 54.07% of the vote, to Dirksen's 45.52%.[1] Since Cook County was home to 50.65% of the votes cast in the election, the final result of the election was close, despite Dirksen winning a landslide 60.70% of the vote to Clark's 38.92% in the other 101 counties of the state.[1]

Additionally, in Cook County's principal city, Chicago (from which 31.02% of all statewide ballots were cast), Clark won 63.90% of the vote to Dirksen's 35.58%.[1] Clark's majority in Chicago and Cook County was insufficient to roll back Dirksen's large majorities in the Chicago suburbs and Downstate.

United States Senate election in Illinois, 1968[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett M. Dirksen (incumbent) 2,358,947 53.01
Democratic William G. Clark 2,073,242 46.59
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 17,542 0.39
Write-in Others 26 0.00
Total votes 4,449,757 100.00

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 1968 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, JUNE, 11, 1972" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 26, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Illinois Secretary of State. p. 884. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.[permanent dead link]