# 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election

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The 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 2, 1976. Incumbent first-term Democratic governor Dan Walker lost renomination to Illinois Secretary of State Michael Howlett, who was an ally of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican nominee James R. Thompson. This election was the first of seven consecutive Republican gubernatorial victories in Illinois, a streak not broken until the election of Democrat Rod Blagojevich in 2002. This election is the most recent time an Illinois gubernatorial election was held concurrently with a Presidential election.

## Background

This election was for a two-year term which would synchronize future gubernatorial elections with midterm election years, rather than presidential election years, as the 1970 Constitution of Illinois required gubernatorial elections to be held in midterm election years starting in 1978. The previous election had been in 1972.
The primaries (held on March 16) and general election coincided with those for federal offices (United States President and House) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1976 Illinois elections.
Turnout in the primaries saw 38.79% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,231,910 votes cast, and 33.89% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,949,469 votes cast. Turnout during the general election was 74.18%, with 4,639,010 votes cast.

## Democratic primary
### Governor

The incumbent Governor, Dan Walker, had a contentious relationship with the Daley Machine, which backed Secretary of State Michael Howlett. Walker carried most of the state's counties, but Howlett carried Cook county by a wide margin and was ultimately nominated.
1976 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Illinois :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Michael J. Howlett | 811,721 | 53.82 | |
| | Democratic | Dan Walker (incumbent) | 696,380 | 46.17 | |
| | Write-in | Others | 245 | 0.02 | n−a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115,341 | 7.65 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,508,346 | | |

### Lieutenant governor

Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Neil Hartigan was renominated, defeating Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner Joanne H. Alter.
Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Neil F. Hartigan (incumbent) | 857,910 | 66.29 |
| | Democratic | Joanne H. Alter | 436,322 | 33.71 |
| | Write-in | Others | 29 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,294,232 | 100 |

## Republican primary
### Governor

Thompson won the Republican Primary in a landslide, carrying every county.
1976 Republican gubernatorial primary, Illinois :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | James R. Thompson | 625,457 | 86.44 | |
| | Republican | Richard H. Cooper | 97,937 | 13.54 | |
| | Republican | write-ins | 170 | 0.02 | n−a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 527,484 | 29.97 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 723,564 | | |

### Lieutenant governor

Dave O'Neal won the Republican primary, defeating Joan G. Anderson.
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | David C. O'Neal | 376,126 | 57.40 |
| | Republican | Joan G. Anderson | 279,087 | 42.59 |
| | Write-in | Others | 24 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 655,237 | 100 |

## General election

1976 gubernatorial election, Illinois :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | James R. Thompson/Dave O'Neal | 3,000,365 | 64.68 | |
| | Democratic | Michael J. Howlett/Neil F. Hartigan | 1,610,258 | 34.71 | |
| | Communist | Ishmael Flory/Linda R. Appelhans | 10,091 | 0.22 | |
| | Libertarian | F. Joseph McCaffrey/Georgia E. Shields | 7,552 | 0.16 | |
| | Socialist Workers | Suzanne Haig/Dennis Brasky | 4,926 | 0.11 | |
| | Socialist Labor | George LaForest/Stanley A. Prorok | 3,147 | 0.07 | |
| | U.S. Labor | Edward Waffle/Peter Matni | 2,302 | 0.05 | |
| | Write-in | Others | 369 | 0.01 | n−a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,390,137 | 29.97 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,639,010 | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | | |