1913 United States Senate elections in Illinois

At the time, since the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was yet to take effect, U.S. Senate seats were filled by votes of state legislatures.

In the November 1912 state elections, the Republicans lost control of the Illinois General Assembly due to the Republican / Progressive split. But while the Democrats held a plurality of the Illinois General Assembly, they did not have a majority. The General Assembly took up the matter of electing the senators on February 1. The General Assembly therefore failed to elect until after the new congress began.

On March 26, in a compromise arranged by governor Dunne, the General Assembly elected Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis to fill the full-term seat and Republican Lawrence Y. Sherman to fill the two remaining years of a vacancy that had just recently opened.

Non-binding preference primaries were held April 9, 1912, which informed the legislature of the preferred candidate of voters in each party's primaries. They coincided with binding primaries held for other offices.[1]

While the party was eligible to hold a primary, no Socialist primary was held for the office of U.S. Senator.[1]

Illinois general election (class 2)

March 26, 1913

Nominee J. Hamilton Lewis Frank H. Funk Party Democratic Progressive Members' vote 164 22 Percentage 80.39% 10.78%   Nominee Lawrence Y. Sherman[3] Party Republican Members' vote 9 Percentage 4.41%

U.S. senator before election Shelby Moore Cullom Republican Elected U.S. senator J. Hamilton Lewis Democratic

On April 12, 1912, five-term Republican incumbent Shelby Moore Cullom lost renomination to Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Lawrence Y. Sherman in the Republican "advisory" primary, where the voters expressed their preference for senator but the decision was not binding on the General Assembly, which made the actual choice. Cullom had suffered politically over his support for the other Illinois senator, William Lorimer, who was embroiled in a scandal over alleged bribery in his 1909 election to the Senate.

After his defeat, Cullom withdrew his name from consideration by the General Assembly.

The Illinois General Assembly eventually elected the Democratic nominee, Congressman J. Hamilton Lewis March 26, 1913, who had also won the Democratic advisory primary, as the sole candidate on the ballot.

Illinois special election (class 3)

March 26, 1913

Nominee Lawrence Y. Sherman[3] Charles Boeschenstein Party Republican Democratic Members' vote 143 25 Percentage 70.10% 12.26%   Nominee Frank H. Funk Party Progressive Members' vote 22 Percentage 10.78%

U.S. senator before election Vacant Elected U.S. senator Lawrence Y. Sherman Republican

Three months after the primary in which Sherman defeated Cullom, the U.S. Senate invalidated William Lorimer's 1909 election and declared the seat vacant.[6] The Illinois Attorney General, William H. Stead determined that the General Assembly had failed to properly elect Lorimer in 1909 and so the Governor could not appoint a replacement.[7] As a result, the General Assembly had a second Senate seat to fill.

• 1912 and 1913 United States Senate elections

• "United States Senators Chosen, 1912". The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1913. New York: The Tribune Association. 1913. p. 457 – via Hathi Trust Digital Library.