1994 Illinois gubernatorial election

The 1994 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Edgar won reelection in the largest landslide in over a century, after the elections of 1818 and 1848.

1994 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1990 November 8, 1994 1998 →
Turnout50.77% Decrease 3.23 pp
 
Nominee Jim Edgar Dawn Clark Netsch
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Bob Kustra Penny Severns
Popular vote 1,984,318 1,069,850
Percentage 63.87% 34.44%

County results
Edgar:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%
Netsch:      40–50%

Governor before election

Jim Edgar
Republican

Elected Governor

Jim Edgar
Republican

Edgar carried 101 of the state's 102 counties over the Democratic nominee, State Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch, with Netsch only winning Gallatin County by a narrow margin. This was the first time in Illinois that a woman was a major party's nominee for governor, with 2006 being the only other time.

To date, this is the most recent statewide election in which Cook County voted for a Republican candidate, a Republican governor won a second term in Illinois, and the last time any candidate received over 60% of the vote.

Background

edit

The primaries and general elections coincided with those for congress, as well as those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1994 Illinois elections.

The 1994 midterm elections saw a strong showing by the Republican Party, which was dubbed the "Republican Revolution".

For the primaries, turnout for the gubernatorial primaries was 29.16%, with 1,794,357 votes cast and turnout for the lieutenant gubernatorial primaries was 23.44% with 1,442,160 votes cast.[1] For the general election, turnout was 50.77%, with 3,106,556 votes cast.[2]

Democratic primaries

edit

Governor

edit

Candidates

edit

Results

edit
Democratic gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dawn Clark Netsch 487,364 44.35
Democratic Roland W. Burris 401,142 36.50
Democratic Richard Phelan 160,576 14.61
Democratic James Elroy Gierach 26,752 2.43
Democratic Sheila A. Jones 23,191 2.11
Total votes 1,099,025 100.00

Lieutenant governor

edit

Candidates

edit
  • Anthony P. Harper
  • Penny Severns, Illinois State Senator
  • Sheila Smith
Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Penny Severns 406,510 45.75
Democratic Sheila Smith 366,760 41.27
Democratic Anthony P. Harper 115,347 12.98
Total votes 888,617 100

Republican primaries

edit

Governor

edit

Candidates

edit

Results

edit
Republican gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Edgar (incumbent) 521,590 75.01
Republican Jack Roeser 173,742 23.89
Total votes 695,332 100.00

Lieutenant governor

edit

Candidates

edit

Results

edit
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Kustra (incumbent) 553,543 100
Total votes 553,543 100

General election

edit

Polling

edit
Source Date Jim
Edgar (R)
Dawn Clark
Netsch (D)
Chicago Tribune October 30, 1994 60% 25%
Chicago Tribune October 23, 1994 61% 22%

Results

edit
1994 gubernatorial election, Illinois[3][4][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jim Edgar (incumbent) 1,984,318 63.9 +13.1
Democratic Dawn Clark Netsch 1,069,850 34.4 −13.8
Libertarian David L. Kelley 52,388 1.69 +1.69
N/A write-ins 10 0.0 n−a
Majority 914,468 29.5
Turnout 3,106,556 50.77
Republican hold Swing

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e "State of Illinois official vote cast at the primary election held on ..." Illinois State Board of Elections. 1966. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "State of Illinois official vote cast at the general election ." Illinois State Board of Elections. 1978. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. ^ "Vote Totals List". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. ^ "1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Illinois". Uselectionatlas.org\accessdate=2015-04-04.