# 1976 Illinois elections

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vte :
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 1976.
Primaries were held on March 16, 1976.
In order to, per Constitution of Illinois, allow for all statewide executive offices to be up for election in the 1978 midterms, all statewide executive offices up for election in 1976 were only elected to two-year terms.

## Election information

In order to, per Constitution of Illinois, allow for all statewide executive offices to be up for election in the 1978 midterms, all statewide executive offices up for election in 1976 were only elected to two-year terms.
This is would be the last time that any election for a nstatewide executive office would be held in Illinois during a presidential election year, until 2016, when a special election was held for comptroller.

### Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 21.55%, with a total of 1,239,487 ballots cast. 669,210 Democratic and 570,277 Republican primary ballots were cast.
Turnout during the general election was 77.38%, with 4,838,182 ballots cast.

## Federal elections
### United States President

Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Gerald Ford and Bob Dole.

### United States House

All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1976.
Republicans flipped one seat, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation consist of 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans.

## State elections
### Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Governor Dan Walker, a Democrat, had been defeated by Michael J. Howlett in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Lieutenant Governor Neil Hartigan was renominated in the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary. The Republican ticket of James R. Thompson and David C. O'Neal won the 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 | Other | 369 | 0.01 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,639,010 | 100 |

### Attorney General

Incumbent Attorney General William J. Scott, a Republican, was elected to a third term.

#### Democratic primary

President of the Illinois Senate Cecil Partee narrowly defeated Superintendent of the Illinois Department of Registration and Education Ronald E. Stackler in the Democratic primary.
Attorney General Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Cecil A. Partee | 270,741 | 50.56 |
| | Democratic | Ronald E. Stackler | 264,701 | 49.44 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 535,442 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Incumbent William J. Scott won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Attorney General Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William J. Scott (incumbent) | 485,940 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 485,940 | 100 |

#### General election

Attorney General election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William J. Scott (incumbent) | 2,795,013 | 61.95 |
| | Democratic | Cecil Partee | 1,678,800 | 37.21 |
| | Communist | Theodore Pearson | 11,150 | 0.25 |
| | Socialist Workers | Nancy J. Cohen | 9,333 | 0.21 |
| | Libertarian | John C. Reis | 9,165 | 0.20 |
| | Socialist Labor | George P. Milonas | 4,344 | 0.10 |
| | U.S. Labor | Richard D. Leebove | 3,918 | 0.16 |
| | Write-in | Others | 45 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,511,768 | 100 |

### Secretary of State

Incumbent Secretary of State Michael Howlett, a Democrat, did not seek a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Democrat Alan J. Dixon was elected to succeed him in office.

#### Democratic primary

Illinois Treasurer Alan J. Dixon won the Democratic primary, defeating Illinois State Senator Vince Demuzio.
Secretary of State Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon | 984,934 | 77.35 |
| | Democratic | Vince Demuzio | 288,354 | 22.65 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,273,288 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Illinois State Senator William C. Harris won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Secretary of State Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William C. Harris | 615,932 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 615,932 | 100 |

#### General election

Secretary of State election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon | 2,906,311 | 64.55 |
| | Republican | William C. Harris | 1,562,028 | 34.69 |
| | Libertarian | Ellyn Powelson | 10,461 | 0.23 |
| | Communist | Frances Gabow | 8,271 | 0.18 |
| | Socialist Workers | Eva Lynn Masterson | 6,356 | 0.14 |
| | U.S. Labor | John H. Brown, Jr. | 5,212 | 0.12 |
| | Socialist Labor | Ben Leonik | 3,876 | 0.09 |
| | Write-in | Others | 30 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,502,545 | 100 |

### Comptroller

Incumbent Comptroller George W. Lindberg, a Republican running for a second term, was defeated by Democrat Michael Bakalis.

#### Democratic primary

Former Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Bakalis won the Democratic primary, defeating Director of the Illinois State Department of General Services Roland Burris.
Secretary of State Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Michael J. Bakalis | 900,294 | 71.82 |
| | Democratic | Roland W. Burris | 353,252 | 28.18 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,253,546 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Incumbent George W. Lindberg won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Secretary of State Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George W. Lindberg (incumbent) | 619,698 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 619,698 | 100 |

#### General election

Comptroller election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Michael Bakalis | 2,298,074 | 51.58 |
| | Republican | George W. Lindberg (incumbent) | 2,117,977 | 47.53 |
| | Libertarian | Mark B. Wallace | 13,789 | 0.31 |
| | Communist | Charles Hunter | 10,992 | 0.25 |
| | U.S. Labor | Michael Braun | 5,635 | 0.13 |
| | Socialist Workers | Clemens R. Bak | 5,071 | 0.11 |
| | Socialist Labor | Gregory P. Lyngas | 4,064 | 0.09 |
| | Write-in | Others | 22 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,455,624 | 100 |

### State Senate

Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1976. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

### State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1976. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

### Trustees of University of Illinois

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.
The election saw the reelection of first-term Democrats William D. Forsyth Jr., George W. Howard III, and Earl L. Neal.
Trustees of the University of Illinois election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Earl L. Neal (incumbent) | 2,221,506 | 18.17 |
| | Democratic | William D. Forsyth Jr. (incumbent) | 2,056,442 | 16.82 |
| | Democratic | George W. Howard, III (incumbent) | 1,971,033 | 16.12 |
| | Republican | Timothy W. Swain | 1,968,391 | 16.10 |
| | Republican | Robert E. Allen | 1,893,695 | 15.49 |
| | Republican | Dean Ennis Madden | 1,789,409 | 14.64 |
| | Libertarian | Anne McCracken | 44,472 | 0.36 |
| | U.S. Labor | Carol Leebove | 30,233 | 0.25 |
| | Libertarian | James D. McCawley | 27,542 | 0.23 |
| | Communist | Mark J. Almberg | 25,641 | 0.21 |
| | Libertarian | Milton Altschuler | 25,532 | 0.21 |
| | U.S. Labor | Helen Ratzlow | 25,351 | 0.21 |
| | Socialist Labor | Doris Churchill | 24,595 | 0.20 |
| | U.S. Labor | Shari Waffle | 22,498 | 0.18 |
| | Communist | Altherna Medith | 18,948 | 0.16 |
| | Communist | Jack Kling | 17,414 | 0.14 |
| | Socialist Labor | Edwin L. Williams | 14,970 | 0.12 |
| | Socialist Workers | Mark Harris | 13,314 | 0.11 |
| | Socialist Workers | David W. Tucker | 11,982 | 0.10 |
| | Socialist Workers | John Pottinger | 10,752 | 0.09 |
| | Socialist Labor | Clarys L. Essex | 10,671 | 0.09 |
| | Write-in | Others | 113 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,224,504 | 100 |

### Judicial elections

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1976.

## Local elections

Local elections were held.