 | |||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 73.51% | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 County results Dixon: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% O'Neal: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1980 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. SenatorAdlai Stevenson III decided to retire. DemocratAlan J. Dixon won the open seat. Dixon won in a landslide victory, despiteRepublican presidential nomineeRonald Reagan carrying the state in thesimultaneous presidential election comfortably.
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for other federal offices (President andHouse), as well asthose for state offices.[1][2]
Incumbent DemocratAdlai Stevenson III opted not to seek reelection to a third-term. This was the first open-race for this senate seat since1938.
Turnout in the primary elections was 35.36%, with a total of 2,026,814 votes cast.[1][3]
Turnout during the general election was 73.51%, with 4,579,933 votes cast.[2][3]
Alan J. Dixon overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary.
Alex Seith, who had won the Democratic nomination for Senator two years earlier, almost winning the 1978 race in what would have been a majorupset, laid hopes of capturing the nomination again.
Anthony R. Martin-Trigona, a political activist who had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for senate in 1978, again ran for the nomination.
Robert Ash "Bob" Wallace made use of his friendship with boxerMuhammad Ali, featuring him in campaign ads and having him make campaign appearances.[7][8]
Dakin Williams was a prosecutor, and was the younger brother of famous playwrightTennessee Williams.[5] He had been a candidate for the Democratic nomination of Illinois' other US Senate seat in 1972, and had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for this seat in 1974. He had also been a candidate for governor in 1978.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan J. Dixon | 671,746 | 66.88 | ||
| Democratic | Alex Seith | 190,339 | 18.95 | ||
| Democratic | Robert Ash "Bob" Wallace | 64,037 | 6.38 | ||
| Democratic | Anthony R. Martin-Trigona | 39,711 | 3.95 | ||
| Democratic | Dankin Williams | 38,388 | 3.82 | ||
| Write-in | 153 | 0.00 | |||
| Total votes | 1,004,374 | 100.00 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David C. O'Neal | 424,634 | 41.53 | ||
| Republican | William J. Scott | 352,138 | 34.44 | ||
| Republican | Dick Carver | 245,668 | 24.03 | ||
| Write-in | 141 | 0.00 | |||
| Total votes | 1,022,440 | 100.00 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan J. Dixon | 2,565,302 | 56.01% | ||
| Republican | David C. O'Neal | 1,946,296 | 42.50% | ||
| Libertarian | Bruce Green | 29,328 | 0.64% | ||
| Independent | Sidney Lens | 19,213 | 0.42% | ||
| Communist | Charles F. Wilson | 11,453 | 0.25% | ||
| Workers World | Michael Soriano | 5,626 | 0.12% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Burton Lee Artz | 2,715 | 0.06% | ||
| Write-in | 96 | 0.00% | |||
| Total votes | 4,579,933 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
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