 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 54.23% 19.95pp | |||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Thompson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Bakalis: 40–50% 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The1978 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1978.[1] RepublicanJames R. Thompson easily won a second term in office, defeating Democratic nomineeMichael Bakalis by 596,550 votes.
This was the first Illinois gubernatorial election that took place during the United States'midterm elections.[2] The previous election had been in 1976.
The primary (held March 21) and general election coincided with those for federal offices (Senate andHouse) and those for other state offices.[1][3] The election was part of the1978 Illinois elections.
Turnout in theprimaries saw 20.39% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 1,201,603 votes cast, and 16.33% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 962,288 votes cast.[3] Turnout during the general election was 54.23%, with 3,150,107 votes cast.[1]
IncumbentIllinois ComptrollerMichael Bakalis won the Democratic primary.
Bakalis' opponent had been Dakin Williams, a prosecutor who was the younger brother of famous playwrightTennessee Williams.[4] Williams had been a candidate for the Democratic nomination of Illinois' US Senate seat in1972, and had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for the state's other US Senate seat in1974.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael Bakalis | 601,045 | 82.85 | |
| Democratic | Dakin Williams | 124,406 | 17.15 | |
| Write-in | 8 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 725,459 | 100 | ||
Lawyer and future congressman and U.S. SenatorDick Durbin won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, running unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard J. Durbin | 528,819 | 100 | |
| Write-in | 5 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 528,824 | 100 | ||
Incumbent governorJames R. Thompson won renomination, running unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James R. Thompson (incumbent) | 476,043 | 99.98 | |
| Write-in | 101 | 0.02 | ||
| Total votes | 476,144 | 100 | ||
Incumbent lieutenant governorDave O'Neal won renomination, running unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David C. O'Neal | 433,453 | 100 | |
| Write-in | 11 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 433,464 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James R. Thompson (incumbent)/ David C. O'Neal (incumbent) | 1,859,684 | 59.04 | |
| Democratic | Michael Bakalis/ Richard J. Durbin | 1,263,134 | 40.10 | |
| Libertarian | Georgia Shields/ Marji Kohls | 11,420 | 0.36 | |
| Socialist Workers | Cecil Lampkin/ Dennis Brasky | 11,026 | 0.35 | |
| U.S. Labor | Melvin Klenetsky/ David R. Hoffman | 4,737 | 0.15 | |
| Write-in | 106 | 0.00 | ||
| Majority | 596,550 | 18.94 | ||
| Turnout | 3,150,107 | 54.23 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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