1956 Illinois elections
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 6, 1956.
![]() | ||
| ||
|
Elections in Illinois | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Primaries were held on April 10.[1]
The results strongly favored the Republican Party,[2] which retained control both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly as well as all statewide elected executive offices.
Election information
Federal elections
United States President
Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. For the second consecutive election, Illinois' vote for the Republican Eisenhower-Nixon ticket came despite the fact that former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II was the Democratic presidential nominee.
United States Senate
Republican Senator Everett Dirksen was reelected to a second term.
United States House
All 25 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1956.
State elections
Governor
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Governor William Stratton, a Republican, narrowly won reelection to a second term.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Herbert C. Paschen | 475,813 | 57.80 | |
Democratic | Morris B. Sachs | 347,458 | 42.20 | |
Write-in | Others | 10 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 823,281 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | William G. Stratton (incumbent) | 556,909 | 69.82 | |
Republican | Warren E. Wright | 187,645 | 23.53 | |
Republican | Lar "America Fist" Daly | 24,808 | 3.11 | |
Republican | Sidney McKee Ward | 15,979 | 2.00 | |
Republican | Anthony A. Polley | 12,217 | 1.53 | |
Write-in | Others | 32 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 797,590 | 100 |
General election
Herbert C. Paschen was replaced by Richard B. Austin as Democratic nominee.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | William G. Stratton (incumbent) | 2,171,786 | 50.34 | |
Democratic | Richard B. Austin | 2,134,909 | 49.48 | |
Socialist Labor | Edward C. Cross | 7,874 | 0.18 | |
Write-in | Others | 42 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 4,314,611 | 100 |
Lieutenant Governor
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Lieutenant Governor John William Chapman, a Republican, won reelection to a second term.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Roscoe Bonjean | 441,873 | 63.15 | |
Democratic | James L. Griffin | 257,884 | 36.85 | |
Write-in | Others | 5 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 699,762 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John William Chapman (incumbent) | 655,018 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 4 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 655,022 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John William Chapman (incumbent) | 2,240,542 | 53.18 | |
Democratic | Roscoe Bonjean | 1,964,722 | 46.64 | |
Socialist Labor | Frank Schnur | 7,540 | 0.18 | |
Total votes | 4,212,804 | 100 |
Attorney General
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Attorney General Latham Castle, a Republican, was elected to a second term.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James L. O'Keefe | 651,226 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 651,227 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Latham Castle (incumbent) | 655,115 | 100 | |
Democratic | Write-in | 4 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 655,119 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Latham Castle (incumbent) | 2,310,346 | 54.72 | |
Democratic | James L. O'Keefe | 1,904,439 | 45.11 | |
Socialist Labor | George P. Milonas | 7,460 | 0.18 | |
Total votes | 4,222,245 | 100 |
Secretary of State
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Secretary of State Charles F. Carpentier, a Republican, was reelected to a second term.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David F. Mallet | 650,286 | 100 | |
Democratic | Write-in | 2 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 650,288 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Charles F. Carpentier (incumbent) | 609,658 | 80.18 | |
Republican | Nicholas J. Bohling | 150,704 | 19.82 | |
Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 760,363 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Charles F. Carpentier (incumbent) | 2,432,954 | 56.94 | |
Democratic | David F. Mallet | 1,832,677 | 42.89 | |
Socialist Labor | Gregory P. Lyngas | 7,260 | 0.17 | |
Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 4,272,892 | 100 |
Auditor of Public Accounts
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Auditor of Public Accounts Lloyd Morey, a Republican appointed in 1960 to replace Orville Hodge (after Hodge was charged with crimes), did not seek reelection. Republican Elbert S. Smith was elected to succeed him.
Before being charged with crimes, Orville Hodge had been seeking reelection, even winning the Republican primary.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Michael J. Howlett | 644,184 | ||
Total votes | 644,184 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Orville Hodge (incumbent) | 672,439 | 100 | |
Democratic | Write-in | 2 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 672,441 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Elbert S. Smith | 2,217,229 | 52.55 | |
Democratic | Michael J. Howlett | 1,992,707 | 47.23 | |
Socialist Labor | Stanley L. Prorok | 9,468 | 0.22 | |
Total votes | 4,219,404 | 100 |
Treasurer
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Treasurer Warren Wright, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a second-consecutive (third overall) term, instead opting to run (ultimately unsuccessfully) for the Republican nomination for governor. Republican Elmer J. Hoffman was elected to succeed him in office, earning Hoffman a second non-consecutive term as Treasurer.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Arthur L. Hellyer | 635,633 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 635,634 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Elmer J. Hoffman | 666,961 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 8 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 666,969 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Elmer J. Hoffman | 2,226,340 | 52.81 | |
Democratic | Arthur L. Hellyer | 1,981,234 | 47.00 | |
Socialist Labor | Rudolph Kosle | 8,244 | 0.20 | |
Total votes | 4,215,818 | 100 |
Clerk of the Supreme Court
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent Clerk of the Supreme Court Earle Benjamin Searey, a Republican, was reelected.
Democratic primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James P. Alexander | 631,400 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 6 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 631,406 | 100 |
Republican primary
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Earle Benjamin Searey (incumbent) | 647,649 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 647,650 | 100 |
General election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Earle Benjamin Searey (incumbent) | 2,285,311 | 54.39 | |
Democratic | James P. Alexander | 1,909,378 | 45.44 | |
Socialist Labor | Walter J. Leibfritz | 7,279 | 0.17 | |
Total votes | 4,201,968 | 100 |
State Senate
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1960. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
State House of Representatives
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1956. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
Trustees of University of Illinois
| ||
|
An at-large election using cumulative voting was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.[3] All three Republican nominees won.[3] The election was for 6-year terms.
Incumbent Republican Wayne A. Johnston won a second term.[4] Incumbent Republican Timothy W. Swain, appointed in 1955, won election to his first full term.[4] Also, joining them in winning election, was Republican Earl M. Hughes.[3][4] Incumbent Herbert B. Megran did had not been nominated for reelection.[4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Wayne A. Johnston (incumbent) | 2,301,855 | 18.37 | |
Republican | Timothy W. Swain (incumbent) | 2,280,467 | 18.19 | |
Republican | Earl M. Hughes | 2,232,759 | 17.81 | |
Democratic | Joseph Bruce Campbell | 1,930,866 | 15.41 | |
Democratic | Richard J. Nelson | 1,889,835½ | 14.95 | |
Democratic | Don Forsyth | 1,873,181 | 14.95 | |
Socialist Labor | Elizabeth W. White | 8,996 | 0.07 | |
Socialist Labor | Henry Schilling | 8,216 | 0.07 | |
Socialist Labor | Albert Bikar | 7,910 | 0.06 | |
Total votes | 12,534,085½ | 100 |
Ballot measures
Two ballot measures, were put before Illinois voters in 1956.
General Banking Law Amendment
Voters approved the General Banking Law Amendment a legislatively referred state statute which modified the state's banking law.[5]
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Yes | 1,472,236 | 76.84 | |
No | 443,650 | 23.16 | |
Total votes | 1,915,886 | 100 |
Revenue Amendment
The Revenue Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which would have amended Article IX Sections 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10 and repeal Article IX Section 13 of the 1870 Constitution of Illinois to give more leeway to the legislature in creating tax policy, while specifically forbidding the authorization of a graduated income tax, failed to meet either threshold for adoption.[3][6] In order for constitutional amendments to pass, they required either two-thirds support among those specifically voting on the measure or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.[7][8]
Revenue Amendment[3] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Option | Votes | % of votes
on measure |
% of all ballots cast |
Yes | 2,139,150 | 60.30 | 47.70 |
No | 1,408,132 | 39.70 | 31.40 |
Total votes | 3,547,282 | 100 | 79.09 |
Local elections
Local elections were held.
References
- Illinois Blue Book 1955-1956. www.idaillinois.org. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 815–16. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- Cohen, Adam; Taylor, Elizabeth (2001). American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Little, Brown. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7595-2427-9.
- Illinois Blue Book 1957-1958. www.idaillinois.org. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 903–04. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- "Illinois General Banking Law Amendment (1956)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- "Illinois Revenue Amendment (1956)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- 1870 Illinois Constituton Article XIV
- "Illinois Re-election of County Officers Amendment (1952)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.