1914 United States Senate election in Illinois

The 1914 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 3, 1914.^[1]

1914 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 1913 November 3, 1914 1920 →

Nominee Lawrence Yates Sherman Roger Charles Sullivan Raymond Robins Party Republican Democratic Progressive Popular vote 390,661 373,403 203,027 Percentage 38.46% 36.76% 19.99%

Results by county Sherman:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Sullivan:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Robins:      30–40%      40–50% Tie:      40-50%

U.S. senator before election Lawrence Yates Sherman Republican Elected U.S. senator Lawrence Yates Sherman Republican

Incumbent Republican senator Lawrence Yates Sherman, first elected to a partial term by the Illinois General Assembly in a special election the previous year, was reelected to a full term as U.S. senator by a popular vote.

Background

The primaries and general election coincided with those for House and those for state elections.^[2] Primaries were held September 9, 1914.^[2]

The 1914 United States Senate elections were the first to be held after the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect, and this was therefore the first Illinois U.S. Senate election to be held by a popular vote.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Ran

• Barratt O'Hara, lieutenant governor of Illinois
• Lawrence B. Stringer, U.S. congressman
• Roger Charles Sullivan, Cook County Democratic Party political boss and former the clerk of the Cook County Probate Court
• James Traynor
• Harry Woods, Illinois secretary of state

Declined to run

• Frank D. Comerford, former Illinois state senator and candidate for lieutenant governor in 1912^[3]

Results

Democratic primary^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Roger C. Sullivan	141,008	47.42
	Democratic	Lawrence B. Stringer	109,923	36.97
	Democratic	Harry Woods	24,947	8.39
	Democratic	Barratt O'Hara	14,160	4.76
	Democratic	James Traynor	7,294	2.45
Total votes			297,332	100

Republican primary

Candidates

• Frank Hall Childs
• William E. Mason, former U.S. senator
• Lawrence Yates Sherman, incumbent U.S. senator
• Myer J. Stein

Results

Republican primary^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lawrence Yates Sherman (incumbent)	141,186	65.34
	Republican	William E. Mason	51,937	24.04
	Republican	Myer J. Stein	11,633	5.38
	Republican	Frank Hall Childs	11,321	5.24
Total votes			216,077	100

Progressive primary

Candidates

• Raymond Robins, economist, writer, and chairman of the Illinois Progressive Party state committee

Results

Progressive primary^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Raymond Robins	24,953	100
Total votes			24,953	100

Socialist primary

Candidates

• Adolph Germer, trade union organizer

Results

Socialist primary^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Adolph Germer	4,220	100
Total votes			4,220	100

General election

Candidates

• John M. Frances (Socialist Labor)
• Adolph Germer (Socialist), trade union organizer
• Raymond Robins (Progressive), economist, writer, and chairman of the Illinois Progressive Party state committee
• Lawrence Yates Sherman (Republican), incumbent U.S. senator
• Roger Charles Sullivan (Democratic), Cook County Democratic Party political boss and former the clerk of the Cook County Probate Court
• George W. Woolsey (Prohibition Party)

Results

1914 United States Senate election in Illinois^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lawrence Y. Sherman (incumbent)	390,661	38.46
	Democratic	Roger C. Sullivan	373,403	36.76
	Progressive	Raymond Robins	203,027	19.99
	Socialist	Adolph Germer	39,889	3.93
	Prohibition	George W. Woolsey	6,750	0.67
	Socialist Labor	John M. Frances	2,078	0.21
Majority			17,258	1.70
Turnout			1,015,808
	Republican hold

See also

• 1914 United States Senate elections

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION HELD ON NOVEMBER 3, 1914" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
2. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1914" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 19, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. "Judge Comerford Dies; Heart Attack: Death Comes Unexpectedly; 49 Years Old," Chicago Tribune, Aug. 30, 1929; pp. 1, 4.