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 County results Stevenson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Green: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1948 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1948.[1] IncumbentGovernorDwight H. Green, aRepublican seeking a third term, lost reelection toDemocratic nomineeAdlai Stevenson II.
Theprimaries and general election both coincided with those for federal offices (United States President,House, andUnited States Senate) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the1948 Illinois elections.[1]
At the time, Illinois was a predominantlyRepublican-leaning state.[2] The state had only elected three Democratic governors since theAmerican Civil War.[2] Stevenson defeated Green in what was regarded as a surpriseupset. His margin of victory of 572,067 votes was, at the time, record-breaking for an Illinois gubernatorial election.[2][3][4][5]
Stevenson's strong performance in the gubernatorial election and Democratic nomineePaul Douglas' strong performance in the1948 United States Senate election in Illinois were regarded as having helped the Democraticticket of Harry S. Truman andAlben W. Barkley securetheir narrow victory in Illinois in the1948 United States presidential election.[5][6]
Adlai Stevenson II was chosen byJacob Arvey, leader of the powerfulCook County Democratic Party organization, to theDemocratic candidate in the Illinois gubernatorial race against the incumbent Republican governor,Dwight H. Green.[7][2] While Stevenson had a preference for a role that would see him involved in national politics, such as being aUnited States senator, the path for him to run for senate would have been difficult, while Arvey was offering him a clear path to be elected governor.[2]
Stevenson launched his campaign with a speech to theMcLean County DemocratsJackson Day dinner in his hometown ofBloomington on February 23, 1948.[2] He made clear that, rather than seeking out the office himself, he had beendrafted by the Democratic State Central Committee, who had asked him to be their gubernatorial candidate due to his "record in private life," and, "public service in the war and the peace," and their confidence he would win and, that as governor would be, "a credit," to the Democratic party.[2] Stevenson, in launching his campaign, pledged to clean upIllinois politics, which had been plagued bycorruption and scandal.[2] Part of his appeal as a candidate in the year 1948 was that he lacked ties to the state's "politics as usual".[2]
Stevenson ultimately faced no opponents on the ballot in the primary.[1][8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Adlai E. Stevenson | 578,390 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 578,390 | 100 | ||
Incumbent governor Dwight H. Green ultimately faced no opponents on the ballot.[1][8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dwight H. Green (incumbent) | 744,348 | 100 | |
| Write-in | 12 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 744,360 | 100 | ||
With little fodder to attack Stevenson with, Green instead sought to tie him to the national Democratic Party, headed by presidentHarry S. Truman, and to national scandals, as well as the large spendingNew Deal programs.[2] He also sought to paint Stevenson as weak towardcommunism.[2]
Stevenson had plenty of fodder to attack Green and Green's policies.[2] Green had failed to live up to his original gubernatorial campaign promise to run an "anticorruption administration".[2] Green's administration had faced allegations of ties to gangsters like theShelton Brothers Gang.[2] The1947 Centralia mine disaster also greatly harmed the image of Green's gubernatorial administration, as state mine inspectors had received payoffs from coal companies to ignore violations during safety inspections.[2]
Stevenson made use of his oratory skill, delivering harshone-liners against Green.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Adlai E. Stevenson | 2,250,074 | 57.11 | |
| Republican | Dwight H. Green (incumbent) | 1,678,007 | 42.59 | |
| Prohibition | Willis Ray Wilson | 9,491 | 0.24 | |
| Socialist Labor | Louis Fisher | 2,673 | 0.07 | |
| Write-in | 12 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 3,940,257 | 100 | ||
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