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The 1978 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1978.[1] Republican James R. Thompson easily won a second term in office, defeating Democratic nominee Michael Bakalis by nearly 600,000 votes.
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Turnout | 54.23% ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
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![]() County results Thompson: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Bakalis: 40–50% 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first Illinois gubernatorial election that took place during the United States' midterm elections.[2] The previous election had been in 1976.
The primary (held March 21) and general election coincided with those for federal offices (Senate and House) and those for other state offices.[1][3] The election was part of the 1978 Illinois elections.
Turnout in the primaries saw 20.39% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 1,201,603 votes cast, and 16.33% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 962,288 votes cast.[3]
Turnout during the general election was 54.23%, with 3,150,107 votes cast.[1]
Incumbent Illinois Comptroller Michael Bakalis won the Democratic primary.
Bakalis' opponent had been Dakin Williams, a prosecutor who was the younger brother of famous playwright Tennessee Williams.[4] Williams had been a candidate for the Democratic nomination of Illinois' US Senate seat in 1972, and had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for the state's other US Senate seat in 1974.[5]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Michael Bakalis | 601,045 | 82.85 | |
Democratic | Dakin Williams | 124,406 | 17.15 | |
Write-in | Others | 8 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 725,459 | 100 |
Lawyer and future congressman and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, running unopposed.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Richard J. Durbin | 528,819 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 5 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 528,824 | 100 |
Incumbent governor James R. Thompson won renomination, running unopposed.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Thompson (incumbent) | 476,043 | 99.98 | |
Write-in | Others | 101 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 476,144 | 100 |
Incumbent lieutenant governor Dave O'Neal won renomination, running unopposed.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | David C. O'Neal | 433,453 | 100 | |
Write-in | Others | 11 | 0.00 | |
Total votes | 433,464 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | James R. Thompson (incumbent)/David C. O'Neal (incumbent) | 1,859,684 | 59.04 | ||
Democratic | Michael Bakalis/Richard J. Durbin | 1,263,134 | 40.10 | ||
Libertarian | Georgia Shields/Marji Kohls | 11,420 | 0.36 | ||
Socialist Workers | Cecil Lampkin/Dennis Brasky | 11,026 | 0.35 | ||
U.S. Labor | Melvin Klenetsky/David R. Hoffman | 4,737 | 0.15 | ||
Write-in | Others | 106 | 0.00 | n−a | |
Majority | 596,550 | 18.94 | |||
Turnout | 3,150,107 | 54.23 | |||
Republican hold | Swing |
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