1960 Illinois gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1960 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 1960 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 8, 1960.^[1]

1960 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1956 November 8, 1960 1964 →
Turnout	84.99% 2.30 pp
Nominee Otto Kerner Jr. William Stratton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,594,731 2,070,479 Percentage 55.51% 44.30%
County results Kerner:      50–60%      60–70% Stratton:      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election William Stratton Republican Elected Governor Otto Kerner Jr. Democratic

Heading into this election, Stratton was seen as vulnerable to being unseated if the Democrats ran a strong candidate, as he had only narrowly won reelection in 1956 (despite a strong overall performance by the Republican party in the state that year), and since the Democratic Party had nationally had a strong performance in the 1958 elections.^[2] Incumbent Governor William Stratton, a Republican seeking a third term, lost reelection to Democrat Otto Kerner Jr.

Background

The primaries and general election both coincided with those for federal offices (United States President, House, and United States Senate) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1960 Illinois elections.

In the primaries, turnout was 37.54%, with 1,910,956 votes cast.^[1][3] In the general election, turnout was 84.99%, with 4,674,187 votes cast.^[1][3]

Primaries

Primaries were held on April 12, 1960.^[1]

Democratic primary

Names floated as potential Democratic contenders included former Illinois Governor John Stelle, former Illinois Attorney General John Edward Cassidy, former United States Senator Scott W. Lucas, President of the Chicago Board of Education Sargent Shriver, and Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, all of whom opted not to run.^[4][2] Daley, the head of the Cook County Democratic Party and a political boss, helped slate Otto Kerner for the nomination.^[2] Kerner won the Democratic primary.^[1]

Candidates

Ran

• Otto Kerner Jr., judge of the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County
• Joseph D. Lohman, treasurer of Illinois and former Cook County sheriff
• Stephen A. Mitchell, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee^[5]

Declined to run

• John Edward Cassidy, former Illinois attorney general^[5]
• Richard J. Daley, mayor of Chicago and chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party^[2]
• John Gleason, vice president of First National Bank of Chicago and former national commander of the American Legion^[5]
• Scott W. Lucas, former United States senator^[5]
• James L. O'Keefe, 1956 Democratic nominee for Illinois attorney general^[5]
• Paul Powell, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives^[5]
• Sargent Shriver, President of the Chicago Board of Education^[5][4]
• John Stelle, former governor of Illinois^[5]

Results

Gubernatorial Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Otto Kerner	649,253	60.89
	Democratic	Joseph D. Lohman	232,345	21.79
	Democratic	Stephen A. Mitchell	184,651	17.32
Total votes			1,066,249	100

Republican

Gubernatorial Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William G. Stratton (incumbent)	499,365	59.12
	Republican	Hayes Robertson	345,340	40.88
	Write-in	Others	2	0.00
Total votes			844,707	100

General election

Gubernatorial election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Otto Kerner Jr.	2,594,731	55.51
	Republican	William G. Stratton (incumbent)	2,070,479	44.30
	Socialist Labor	Edward C. Cross	8,976	0.19
	Write-in	Others	1	0.00
Total votes			4,674,187	100

References

1. "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 8, 1960 JUDICIAL ELECTION 1959-1960 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 12 1960" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
2. Cohen, Adam; Taylor, Elizabeth (2001). American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Little, Brown. pp. 146–148. ISBN 978-0-7595-2427-9.
3. "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
4. McFadden, Robert D. (January 18, 2011). "R. Sargent Shriver, Peace Corps Leader, Dies at 95". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
5. Hayes, Charles (January 7, 1960). "Rough-and-Tumble Election". Newspapers.com. Arlington Heights Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2021.