# 1978 Illinois elections

Elections in Illinois :
Federal government
U.S. Presidential elections
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
Dem
Rep
1988
1992
1996
Dem
Rep
2000
Dem
Rep
2004
Dem
Rep
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
Dem
Rep
2016
Dem
Rep
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate elections
1818
1819
1823
1824
1824 sp
1825
1830 sp
1831
1835
1837
1843
1846
1849
1849 sp
1853
1859
1861
1863 sp
1867
1879
1882
1885
1885 sp
1887 sp
1888
1890
1894
1896
1897
1901
1903
1907
1909
1913
1913 sp
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1928 sp
1930
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1970 sp
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2010 sp
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House elections
1818
1819
1820
1822
1824
1826
1828
1831
1832
1834
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1859
6th sp
1860
1861
6th sp
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1871
AL sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1895
10th sp
18th sp
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
4th sp
1920
1922
AL sp
1923
2nd sp
4th sp
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
19th sp
1946
1948
1950
1952
1953
7th sp
1954
1956
1957
7th sp
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1969
13th sp
1970
6th sp
1972
15th sp
1973
7th sp
1974
1975
5th sp
1976
1978
1980
10th sp
1982
1983
1st sp
1984
1985
14th sp
1986
1988
21st sp
1990
1991
15th sp
1992
1994
1995
2nd sp
1996
1998
2000
1st
2002
2004
2006
2008
14th sp
2009
5th sp
2010
17th
2012
2013
2nd sp
2014
2015
18th sp
2016
2018
2020
2022
1st
2024 :
State government
General elections
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1969
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1818
1822
1826
1830
1834
1838
1842
1846
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
1818
1822
1826
1830
1834
1838
1842
1846
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Comptroller elections
2016
Senate elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
1964
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Judicial elections
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures and referendums
State capitol referendum (1834)
Cutback Amendment (1980)
Crime Victim Rights Amendment (1992)
Illinois Governor Recall Amendment (2010)
Public Pension Amendment (2012)
Marsy's Law (2014)
Right to Vote Amendment (2014)
Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment (2016)
Fair Tax (2020)
Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment (2022) :
Chicago
General elections
2019
2023
Mayoral elections
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1876
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1893 sp
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1977 sp
1979
1983
1987
1989 sp
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Aldermanic elections
1923
1925
1927
1929
2011
2015
2019
2023
Chicago Board of Education elections
2024
2026 :
Cook County
County elections
1946
1980
State's Attorney
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
vte :
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1978.
Primaries were held on March 21, 1978.
This was the first election that the 1970 Constitution of Illinois' change took effect that all statewide executive offices would be elected in national midterm years.

## Election information

1978 was a midterm election year in the United States.
This was the first election that the 1970 Constitution of Illinois' change took effect that all statewide executive offices would be elected in national midterm years. To accommodate this, in 1976, all statewide executive offices that were up for election were elected to two-year terms that would expire following the 1978 elections.

### Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 25.14%, with a total of 1,482,034 ballots cast. 911,290 Democratic and 570,744 Republican primary ballots were cast.
Turnout during the general election was 57.55%, with 3,342,985 ballots cast.

## Federal elections
### United States Senate

Incumbent Republican Charles H. Percy was reelected to a third term.

### United States House

All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1978. The Republican Party flipped one seat, leaving the composition of Illinois' House delegation to consist of 13 Republicans and 11 democrats.

## State elections
### Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Incumbent Governor James R. Thompson and Lieutenant Governor David C. O'Neal, Republicans, jointly won reelection to a second term.
1978 gubernatorial election, Illinois :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | James Thompson / Dave O'Neal (incumbents) | 1,859,684 | 59.04 |
| | Democratic | Michael Bakalis / Dick Durbin | 1,263,134 | 40.10 |
| | Libertarian | Georgia Shields | 11,420 | 0.36 |
| | Socialist Workers | Cecil Lampkin | 11,026 | 0.35 |
| | U.S. Labor | Melvin Klenetsky | 4,737 | 0.15 |
| | Write-in | Others | 106 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,150,107 | |

### Attorney General

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

#### Democratic primary

Richard J. Troy, a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Attorney General Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Richard J. Troy | 538,632 | 100 |
| | Write-in | Others | 24 | 0.01 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 538,656 | 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) | 444,505 | 100 |
| | Write-in | Others | 35 | 0.01 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 444,540 | 100 |

#### General election

Attorney General election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | William J. Scott (incumbent) | 1,989,758 | 64.81 |
| | Democratic | Richard J. Troy | 1,050,085 | 34.20 |
| | Socialist Workers | Guy C. Miller | 13,366 | 0.44 |
| | Libertarian | Sheldon Waxman | 11,917 | 0.39 |
| | U.S. Labor | Richard D. Leebove | 4,874 | 0.16 |
| | Write-in | Others | 31 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,070,031 | 100 |

### Secretary of State

Incumbent Secretary of State Alan J. Dixon, a Democrat, was reelected to a second term.
Dixon's margin-of victory was considered to be a landslide.

#### Democratic primary

Incumbent Alan J. Dixon won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Secretary of State Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon (incumbent) | 602,852 | 100 |
| | Write-in | Others | 9 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 602,861 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Sharon Sharp, the Clerk of Elk Grove Township, was nominated in the Republican primary without opposition.
Secretary of State Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sharon Sharp | 415,789 | 100 |
| | Write-in | Others | 9 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 415,799 | 100 |

#### General election

Secretary of State election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon (incumbent) | 2,314,546 | 73.82 |
| | Republican | Sharon Sharp | 797,560 | 25.44 |
| | Socialist Workers | Marie Cobbs | 10,247 | 0.33 |
| | Libertarian | Ed May | 9,104 | 0.29 |
| | U.S. Labor | Edward Waffle | 4,058 | 0.13 |
| | Write-in | Others | 12 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,135,527 | 100 |

### Comptroller

Incumbent Comptroller Michael Bakalis, a Democrat, did not seek a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Democrat Roland Burris was elected to succeed him. In winning the election, Burris became the first American American to be elected to statewide office in Illinois.

#### Democratic primary

With more than 64% of the vote, Roland Burris defeated State Representative Richard Luft in the Democratic primary.
Burris was a Chicago attorney that had formerly served as director of the Department of General Services under Governor Dan Walker. Luft had been the early favorite for the party to slate, but at the last minute was beaten out by Burris when the party finally slated candidates. It was reported that black Chicago Democrats had pressured the party to slate a black candidate for statewide office.
During the campaign, Burris and Luft argued over Burris' record as director of the Department of General Services.
Secretary of State Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Roland W. Burris | 418,735 | 64.03 |
| | Democratic | Richard N. Luft | 235,192 | 35.97 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 653,927 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

With more than 52% of the vote, John W. Castle, director of the Department of Local Government Affairs, defeated W. Robert Blair, former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, in the Republican primary. Governor James R. Thompson, who had convinced Castle to abandon his declared plans to run for treasurer and instead run for comptroller, publicly endorsed Castle. Blair criticized Castle for this endorsement, alleging that he would not be able to operate the comptroller's office independently of the governor, while Castle denied that his decisions would be influenced by his political ties to Thompson.
Secretary of State Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John W. Castle | 238,086 | 52.02 |
| | Republican | W. Robert Blair | 219,570 | 47.98 |
| | Write-in | Others | 2 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 457,656 | 100 |

#### General election

Comptroller election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Roland W. Burris | 1,542,983 | 51.67 |
| | Republican | John W. Castle | 1,389,049 | 46.52 |
| | Libertarian | Mark B. Wallace | 21,645 | 0.72 |
| | Socialist Workers | John Eriksen | 17,116 | 0.57 |
| | U.S. Labor | Carol Leebove | 15,181 | 0.51 |
| | Write-in | Others | 14 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,985,988 | 100 |

### Treasurer

Incumbent Treasurer was Donald R. Smith, a Republican who had been appointed in 1977, did not seek reelection. Democrat Jerome Cosentino was elected to succeed him in office. This election made Cosentino the first Italian-American to be elected to statewide office in Illinois.

#### Democratic primary

In the Democratic primary, the party establishment had slated Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner Jerome Cosentino as its preferred candidate. He won the primary with 60% of the vote, defeating Nina T. Shepherd, a trustee of the University of Illinois. Shepherd received the endorsement of Independent Voter of Illinois in the primary. She ran largely due to the failure of the party of slate a woman for any statewide office. The primary was not overly heated. One issue that haunted Cosentino was that his trucking firm was under investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission for possible violations of the Interstate Commerce Act. While the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, it was not completed until after the primary was over.
Treasurer Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jerome A. Cosentino | 402,489 | 60.71 |
| | Democratic | Nina T. Shepherd | 260,512 | 39.29 |
| | Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 663,002 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

James M. Skelton, the incumbent county treasurer of Champaign County, won a narrow 52% victory over Bradley M. Glass in the Republican primary. With Skelton being a downstate politician, and Glass being an upstate politician, the race had the dynamics of "downstate vs. upstate". John W. Castle had originally announced that he would run for the Republican nomination for Treasurer, before being convinced by Governor James R. Thompson to instead run for comptroller.
Treasurer Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | James M. Skelton | 236,802 | 52.82 |
| | Republican | Brad Glass | 211,591 | 47.19 |
| | Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 448,394 | 100 |

#### General election

Treasurer election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jerome A. "Jerry" Cosentino | 1,548,605 | 51.95 |
| | Republican | James M. Skelton | 1,383,966 | 46.42 |
| | Libertarian | Everett Moffat | 17,496 | 0.59 |
| | U.S. Labor | John H. Brown, Jr. | 15,682 | 0.53 |
| | Socialist Workers | Randi Lawrence | 15,411 | 0.52 |
| | Write-in | Others | 22 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,981,182 | 100 |

### State Senate

One-third of the seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1982. Democrats retained control of the chamber.

### State House of Representatives

All of the seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1978. 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 incumbent second-term Republican Ralph Crane Hahn and the election of new members, Democrats Edmund Roche Donoghue and Paul Stone.
Incumbent Republican Park Livingston and incumbent first-term Republican Jane Hayes Rader lost reelection.
Trustees of the University of Illinois election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Paul Stone | 1,409,086 | 17.04 |
| | Democratic | Edmund R. Donoghue | 1,348,011 | 16.30 |
| | Republican | Ralph C. Hahn (incumbent) | 1,324,857 | 16.02 |
| | Democratic | Robert J. "Bob" Webb | 1,302,741 | 15.75 |
| | Republican | Jane Hayes Rader (incumbent) | 1,285,296 | 15.54 |
| | Republican | Park Livingston (incumbent) | 1,281,284 | 15.49 |
| | U.S. Labor | Suzanne Rose | 53,630 | 0.65 |
| | Socialist Workers | Jo-Ann Della-Guistina | 47,191 | 0.57 |
| | Libertarian | William Mitchell | 44,303 | 0.54 |
| | Libertarian | James McCawley | 37,298 | 0.45 |
| | Libertarian | John Adrian | 34,514 | 0.42 |
| | Socialist Workers | John Pottinger | 29,480 | 0.36 |
| | U.S. Labor | Mitchell F. Hirsch | 28,220 | 0.34 |
| | U.S. Labor | Maureen Ravenscroft | 25,424 | 0.31 |
| | Socialist Workers | Lee Kail | 20,071 | 0.24 |
| | Write-in | Others | 15 | 0.00 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,271,421 | 100 |

### Judicial elections

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1978.

### Ballot measures

Illinois voters voted on a two legislatively referred constitutional amendment ballot measures in 1978. In order to be approved, the measures required either 60% support among those specifically voting on the measure or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.

#### Personal Property Tax Amendment

The Personal Property Tax Amendment (also known as "Amendment 1") was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which would have amended Article IX, Section 5 of the Constitution of Illinois to eliminate the provision that required the legislature to abolish the personal property tax by January 1, 1979. It failed to meet either threshold to amend the constitution.
Personal Property Tax Amendment :
| Option | Votes | % of votes on measures | % of all ballots cast |
| Yes | 952,416 | 56.48 | 28.49 |
| No | 733,845 | 43.52 | 21.95 |
| Total votes | 1,686,261 | 100 | 50.44 |
| Voter turnout | 29.03% | 29.03% | 29.03% |

#### Exempt Veterans' Organizations from Property Taxes Amendment

The Exempt Veterans' Organizations from Property Taxes Amendment (also known as "Property Tax Exemption for Veterans' Organizations Amendment" and "Amendment 2") was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which would have amended Article IX, Section 6 of the Constitution of Illinois to exempt veterans' associations from paying property taxes on their meeting halls. It failed to meet either threshold to amend the constitution.
Exempt Veterans' Organizations from Property Taxes Amendment :
| Option | Votes | % of votes on measures | % of all ballots cast |
| Yes | 747,907 | 48.11 | 22.37 |
| No | 806,579 | 51.89 | 24.13 |
| Total votes | 1,554,486 | 100 | 46.50 |
| Voter turnout | 26.76% | 26.76% | 26.76% |

## Local elections

Local elections were held.