1956 Illinois elections

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 6, 1956.[1]

1956 Illinois elections

November 6, 1956
Turnout85.95%

Primaries were held on April 10, 1960.[1][2]

The results strongly favored the Republican Party,[3] which retained control both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly as well as all statewide elected executive offices. They also won the state in the presidential election, retained the U.S. Senate seat up for election, and flipped a single U.S. House seat.

Election information

Turnout

In the primary election turnout was 36.96%, with a total of 1,839,577 ballots cast (961,999 Democratic and 877,578 Republican).[1][2][4]

In the general election turnout was 85.95%, with a total of 4,484,956 ballots cast.[1][5][6]

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.

The Republicans flipped one Democratic-held seat, leaving the composition of Illinois' House delegation to consist of 14 Republicans and 11 Democrats.

State elections

Governor

1956 Illinois gubernatorial election

November 6, 1956
Turnout82.69%[1][6]
 
Nominee William Stratton Richard B. Austin
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,171,786 2,134,909
Percentage 50.34% 49.48%

Governor before election

William Stratton
Republican

Elected Governor

William Stratton
Republican

Incumbent Governor William Stratton, a Republican, narrowly won reelection to a second term.

General election

Herbert C. Paschen was replaced by Richard B. Austin as Democratic nominee.

Gubernatorial election[1][5]
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

1956 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

November 6, 1956
Turnout80.74%[1][6]
 
Nominee John William Chapman Roscoe Bonjean
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,240,542 1,964,722
Percentage 53.18% 46.64%

Lieutenant Governor before election

John William Chapman
Republican

Elected Lieutenant Governor

John William Chapman
Republican

Incumbent Lieutenant Governor John William Chapman, a Republican, won reelection to a second term.

Democratic primary

Lieutenant Governor Democratic primary[2]
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

Lieutenant Governor Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John William Chapman (incumbent) 655,018 100
Write-in Others 4 0.00
Total votes 655,022 100

General election

Lieutenant Governor election[5]
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

1956 Illinois Attorney General election

November 6, 1956
Turnout80.92%[1][6]
 
Nominee Latham Castle James L. O'Keefe
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,310,346 1,904,439
Percentage 54.72% 45.11%

Attorney General before election

William L. Guild
Republican

Elected Attorney General

William G. Clark
Democratic

Incumbent Attorney General Latham Castle, a Republican, was elected to a second term.

Democratic primary

Attorney General Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James L. O'Keefe 651,226 100
Write-in Others 1 0.00
Total votes 651,227 100

Republican primary

Attorney General Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Latham Castle (incumbent) 655,115 100
Democratic Write-in 4 0.00
Total votes 655,119 100

General election

Attorney General election[5]
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

1960 Illinois Secretary of State election

November 6, 1956
Turnout81.89%[1][6]
 
Nominee Charles F. Carpentier David F. Mallet
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,432,954 1,832,677
Percentage 56.94% 42.89%

Secretary of State before election

Charles F. Carpentier
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Charles F. Carpentier
Republican

Incumbent Secretary of State Charles F. Carpentier, a Republican, was reelected to a second term.

Democratic primary

Secretary of State Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic David F. Mallet 650,286 100
Democratic Write-in 2 0.00
Total votes 650,288 100

Republican primary

Secretary of State Republican primary[2]
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

Secretary of State election[5]
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

1960 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election

November 6, 1956
Turnout80.87%[1][6]
 
Nominee Elbert S. Smith Michael Howlett
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,217,229 1,992,707
Percentage 52.55% 47.23

Auditor of Public Accounts before election

Lloyd Morey
Republican

Elected Auditor of Public Accounts

Elbert S. Smith
Republican

Auditor of Public Accounts Orville Hodge, who had been elected in 1952, was seeking re-election and had won the Republican primary before being charged with 54 counts of bank fraud, embezzlement and forgery relating to a $6.15 million fraud he committed against the state; Hodge was removed from office, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.

Lloyd Morey was appointed in 1957 to replace Hodge, but decided not to seek reelection. Republican Elbert S. Smith was elected to succeed Morey.

Democratic primary

Auditor of Public Accounts Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael J. Howlett 644,184
Total votes 644,184 100

Republican primary

Auditor of Public Accounts Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Orville Hodge (incumbent) 672,439 100
Democratic Write-in 2 0.00
Total votes 672,441 100

General election

Auditor of Public Accounts election[5]
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

1956 Illinois State Treasurer election

November 6, 1956
Turnout80.80%[1][6]
 
Nominee Elmer J. Hoffman Arthur L. Hellyer
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,226,340 1,981,234
Percentage 52.81% 47.00%

Treasurer before election

Warren Wright
Republican

Elected Treasurer

Elmer J. Hoffman
Republican

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.

This was the first Illinois Treasurer election to a four-year term, as voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1954 which extended term length from two to four-years beginning in 1956.

Democratic primary

Treasurer Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Arthur L. Hellyer 635,633 100
Write-in Others 1 0.00
Total votes 635,634 100

Republican primary

Treasurer Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elmer J. Hoffman 666,961 100
Write-in Others 8 0.00
Total votes 666,969 100

General election

Treasurer election[5]
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

1956 Illinois Clerk of the Supreme Court election

November 6, 1956
Turnout80.53%[1][6]
 
Nominee Lula Searcy James P. Alexander
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,285,311 1,909,378
Percentage 54.39% 45.44%

Clerk before election

Lula Searcy
Republican

Elected Clerk

Lula Searcy
Republican

Incumbent Clerk of the Supreme Court Lula Searcy, a Republican appointed after the death in office of her husband Earle Benjamin Searcy, won reelection to a first full term.

Instead of being listed by her own name, Searcy opted to be listed on the ballot in both the primary and general election as "Ms. Earle Benjamin Searcy".[1][2][5]

Democratic primary

Clerk of the Supreme Court Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James P. Alexander 631,400 100
Write-in Others 6 0.00
Total votes 631,406 100

Republican primary

Clerk of the Supreme Court Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lula Searcy (incumbent) 647,649 100
Write-in Others 1 0.00
Total votes 647,650 100

General election

Clerk of the Supreme Court election[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lula Searcy (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

1956 Trustees of University of Illinois election
November 6, 1956

An election using cumulative voting was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.[5] All three Republican nominees won.[5] The election was for 6-year terms.

Incumbent Republican Wayne A. Johnston won a second term.[7] Incumbent Republican Timothy W. Swain, appointed in 1955 after the resignation of Red Grange, won election to his first full term.[7] Also, joining them in winning election, was Republican Earl M. Hughes.[5][7] Incumbent first-term Republican Herbert B. Megran did had not been nominated for reelection.[5][7]

Trustees of the University of Illinois election[5][7]
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

Judicial elections

On April 10, special elections were held for vacancies on the Third and Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Districts. On November 2, special elections were held for three vacancies on the Superior Court of Cook County.[1]

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.[8]

General Banking Law Amendment[1][5][6]
Candidate Votes %
Yes 1,472,236 76.84
No 443,650 23.16
Total votes 1,915,886 100
Voter turnout 36.72%

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.[5][9] 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.[10][11]

Revenue Amendment[1][5][6]
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
Voter turnout 67.98%

Local elections

Local elections were held.

References

  1. "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1956 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1955, 1956 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 10 1958" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  2. Illinois Blue Book 1955-1956. www.idaillinois.org. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 815–16. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  5. Illinois Blue Book 1957-1958. www.idaillinois.org. Illinois Secretary of State. pp. 903–04. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  6. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  7. "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  8. "Illinois General Banking Law Amendment (1956)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. "Illinois Revenue Amendment (1956)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  10. 1870 Illinois Constituton Article XIV
  11. "Illinois Re-election of County Officers Amendment (1952)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
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