1918 United States Senate election in Illinois

The 1918 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1918.^[1]

1918 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 1913 November 5, 1918 1924 →

Nominee Medill McCormick J. Hamilton Lewis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 479,967 426,943 Percentage 50.50% 44.92%

Results by county McCormick:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Lewis:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election J. Hamilton Lewis Democratic Elected U.S. senator Medill McCormick Republican

Incumbent Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis lost reelection to Republican Medill McCormick.

The primaries and general election coincided with those for House and those for state elections.^[1] The primaries were held September 11, 1918.^[1]

This was the first election for this U.S. Senate seat to be held after the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect, and was therefore the first time that this seat faced a popular election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• James Hamilton Lewis, incumbent U.S. senator
• James O. Monroe, attorney and perennial candidate^[2]
• James Traynor

Results

Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis (incumbent)	169,552	81.37
	Democratic	James O. Monroe	21,288	10.22
	Democratic	James Traynor	17,523	8.41
Total votes			208,363	100

Republican primary

Candidates

• Alfred E. Case
• George Edmund Foss, U.S. congressman
• Medill McCormick, U.S. congressman
• Patrick H. O'Donnell
• William Hale Thompson, mayor of Chicago

Results

Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Medill McCormick	192,222	44.04
	Republican	William Hale Thompson	169,552	38.85
	Republican	George Edmund Foss	62,040	14.22
	Republican	Patrick H. O'Donnell	7,535	1.73
	Republican	Alfred E. Case	5,075	1.16
Total votes			436,424	100

Socialist primary

Candidates

• William Bross Lloyd, attorney and activist

Results

Socialist primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	William Bross Lloyd	1,801	100
Total votes			1,801	100

General election

Candidates

• John M. Francis (Socialist Labor)
• J. Hamilton Lewis (Democrat), incumbent U.S. senator
• William Bross Lloyd (Socialist), attorney and activist
• Medill McCormick (Republican), U.S. congressman
• Frank B. Vennum (Prohibition Party), activist, capitalist, philanthropist, and 1912 candidate for Illinois treasurer^[3]

Results

1918 United States Senate election in Illinois^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Medill McCormick	479,967	50.50
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis (incumbent)	426,943	44.92
	Socialist	William Bross Lloyd	37,167	3.91
	Socialist Labor	John M. Francis	3,268	0.34
	Prohibition	Frank B. Vennum	3,151	0.33
Majority			53,024	5.58
Turnout			950,496
	Republican gain from Democratic

See also

• 1918 United States Senate elections

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE General Election, November 5, 1918 Judicial Elections, 1917-1918, Primary Election, September 11, 1918" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 19, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
2. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - James O. Monroe". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
3. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Frank B. Vennum". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.