1982 Illinois elections

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 1982.

1982 Illinois elections

← 1980 November 2, 1982 1984 →
Turnout	64.65%

Primaries were held on March 16.^[1]

Election information

1982 was a midterm election year in the United States.

Amid the ongoing recession and resultant unpopularity of incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan, Democrats made significant gains in the national elections for the United States House of Representatives and in the gubernatorial elections.^[2][3][4] In Illinois, Democrats made gains in the House of Representatives elections. Democrats also managed to flip control of the office of Illinois Attorney General. While the election was incredibly close, Republican James R. Thompson managed to retain his governorship.

Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 27.38%, with a total of 1,622,410 ballots cast.^[5] 949,426 Democratic and 672,984 Republican primary ballots were cast.^[1]

Turnout during the general election was 64.65%, with 3,856,875 ballots cast.^[5]

Convictions for fraud

There were "62 indictments and 58 convictions, many involving precinct captains and election officials. The grand jury concluded that 100,000 fraudulent votes had been cast in the city ... Authorities found massive fraud involving vote buying and ballots cast by others in the names of registered voters. In one case, a ballot punched for the Democratic slate had been tabulated 198 times."^[6] The case was prosecuted in November 1982 by US Attorney Dan K. Webb.^[7][8][9]

The gubernatorial election result has been questioned. Some Democrats have alleged that fraud might have been committed by Republicans in areas outside Chicago to secure Thompson his victory.^[7] In 2016, Rudy Giuliani suggested that the gubernatorial results had been fraudulent on the part of Chicago Democrats.^[10]

In January 1983, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected a petition by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Adlai Stevenson III for a full statewide recount, with the majority opinion finding there to be insufficient evidence of either mistakes, fraud, or irregularities to warrant a recount^[11]

Federal elections

United States House

Main article: 1982 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois

See also: 1982 United States House of Representatives elections

Illinois had lost two congressional districts (the 23rd and 24th) in reapportionment following the 1980 United States census. All 22 of Illinois' remaining seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1982

Before the election, there were 14 Republican and 10 Democratic seats. In 1982, 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans were elected from Illinois.

State elections

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Main article: 1982 Illinois gubernatorial election

1982 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 1986 →
Turnout	61.58%[5][12]
Nominee James R. Thompson Adlai Stevenson III Party Republican Democratic Running mate George Ryan Grace Mary Stern Popular vote 1,816,101 1,811,027 Percentage 49.4% 49.3%
County results Thompson:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Stevenson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election James R. Thompson Republican Elected Governor James R. Thompson Republican

Incumbent Governor James R. Thompson, a Republican, narrowly won reelection to a third term, defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson III by merely 5,074 votes. George Ryan joined Thompson on the Republican ticket, and won a first term as Lieutenant Governor.

The election was surprisingly close, as, before the election, Thompson had been favored by polls and predictions to win by roughly twenty percentage points.^[13]

Gubernatorial election^[12][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James R. Thompson (incumbent) / George Ryan	1,816,101	49.44
	Democratic	Adlai Stevenson III / Grace Mary Stern	1,811,027	49.30
	Libertarian	Bea Armstrong/ David L. Kelley	24,417	0.66
	Taxpayers	John E. Roche/ Melvin "Mel" Jones	22,001	0.60
	Write-in	Others	161	0.00
Total votes			3,673,707	100

Attorney General

1982 Illinois Attorney General election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 1986 →
Turnout	60.96%[5][12]
Nominee Neil Hartigan Ty Fahner Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,064,196 1,519,507 Percentage 56.76% 41.78%
County results Hartigan:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Fahner:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Attorney General before election Tyrone C. Fahner Republican Elected Attorney General Neil Hartigan Democratic

Incumbent Attorney General Tyrone C. Fahner, a Republican appointed in 1980, lost reelection to Democrat Neil Hartigan.

Democratic primary

Attorney General Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Neil F. Hartigan	606,662	99.99
	Write-in	Others	48	0.01
Total votes			606,710	100

Republican primary

Attorney General Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ty Fahner (incumbent)	524,853	100
	Write-in	Others	27	0.01
Total votes			524,880	100

General election

Attorney General election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Neil F. Hartigan	2,064,196	56.76
	Republican	Ty Fahner (incumbent)	1,519,507	41.78
	Libertarian	Natalie Loder Clark	28,074	0.77
	Taxpayers	Gordon James Arnett	24,719	0.68
	Write-in	Others	12	0.00
Total votes			3,636,508	100

Secretary of State

1982 Illinois Secretary of State election

← 1978 November 2, 1986 1986 →
Turnout	61.87%[5][12]
Nominee Jim Edgar Jerome Cosentino Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,942,664 1,709,008 Percentage 52.64% 46.31%
County results Edgar:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Cosentino:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Secretary of State before election Jim Edgar Republican Elected Secretary of State Jim Edgar Republican

Incumbent Secretary of State Jim Edgar, a Republican first appointed in 1981, was elected to a full term.

Democratic primary

Secretary of State Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jerry Cosentino	614,540	100
	Write-in	Others	23	0.00
Total votes			614,563	100

Republican primary

Secretary of State Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Edgar (incumbent)	558,327	100
	Write-in	Others	15	0.00
Total votes			558,342	100

General election

Secretary of State election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Edgar (incumbent)	1,942,664	52.64
	Democratic	Jerome Cosentino	1,709,008	46.31
	Taxpayers	Kenneth J. Prazak	19,728	0.53
	Libertarian	Roger Hosbein	19,216	0.52
	Write-in	Others	9	0.00
Total votes			3,690,625	100

Comptroller

1982 Illinois State Comptroller election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 1986 →
Turnout	60.56%[5][12]
Nominee Roland Burris Calvin Skinner Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,696,414 1,440,747 Percentage 54.07% 45.93%
County results Burris:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Skinner:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
State Comptroller before election Roland Burris Democratic Elected State Comptroller Roland Burris Democratic

Incumbent Comptroller Roland Burris, a Democrat, won reelection to a second term.

Democratic primary

Incumbent Roland Burris won renomination unopposed.

Secretary of State Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Roland W. Burris (incumbent)	630,921	100
	Write-in	Others	25	0.00
Total votes			630,946	100

Republican primary

Former State Representative Calvin Skinner won the Republican primary unopposed.

Secretary of State Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Cal Skinner Jr.	512,639	100
	Write-in	Others	27	0.01
Total votes			512,666	100

General election

Comptroller election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Roland W. Burris (incumbent)	2,327,779	64.43
	Republican	Cal Skinner Jr.	1,210,467	33.50
	Taxpayers	Leland W. Bormann	37,835	1.05
	Libertarian	Stephen M. Johnson	36,856	1.02
	Write-in	Others	12	0.00
Total votes			3,612,949	100

Treasurer

1982 Illinois State Treasurer election

← 1978 November 2, 1982 1986 →
Turnout	60.47%[5][12]
Nominee James Donnewald John P. Dailey Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,940,828 1,573,496 Percentage 53.81% 43.62%
County results Donnewald:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Dailey:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Treasurer before election Jerome Cosentino Democratic Elected Treasurer James Donnewald Democratic

Incumbent Treasurer Jerome Cosentino, a Democrat, did not run for a second term, instead opting to run for Secretary of State. Democrat James Donnewald was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary

Treasurer Democratic primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James H. Donnewald	579,254	100
	Write-in	Others	8	0.00
Total votes			579,262	100

Republican primary

Treasurer Republican primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John P. Dailey	353,106	60.61
	Republican	W. Robert Blair	229,487	39.39
	Write-in	Others	8	0.00
Total votes			582,601	100

General election

Treasurer election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James H. Donnewald	1,940,828	53.81
	Republican	John P. Dailey	1,573,496	43.62
	Taxpayers	Naomi F. Wilson	60,251	1.67
	Libertarian	Walter E. Edge	32,452	0.90
	Write-in	Paul Salander	22	0.00
Total votes			3,607,049	100

State Senate

As this was the first election after a redistricting, all 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 1982. Democrats flipped control of the chamber.

Trustees of University of Illinois

1982 Trustees of University of Illinois election

← 1980 November 2, 1982 1984 →

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.

The election saw the reelection incumbents William D. Forsyth Jr. and George W. Howard, III and the election of new trustee Albert N. Logan Jr.^[14][15]

Incumbent second-term Democrat Earl L. Langdon was not renominated.^[14][15]

Trustees of the University of Illinois election^[14][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	William D. Forsyth Jr. (incumbent)	1,865,806	22.95
	Democratic	Albert N. Logan	1,775,410	21.84
	Democratic	George W. Howard, III (incumbent)	1,739,795	21.40
	Republican	Jane Hayes Rader	1,403,554	17.26
	Republican	Park Livingston	1,252,356	15.40
	Republican	Larry Gougler	1,234,911	15.19
	Taxpayers	Helen Louise Wells	209,396	2.58
	Taxpayers	Robert Joseph Loftus	133,157	1.64
	Taxpayers	Phoebe T. Dover	131,786	1.62
	Libertarian	Michael Edward Stack	92,501	1.14
	Libertarian	Joseph Maxwell	81,901	1.01
	Libertarian	Geoffrey S. Nathan	76,064	0.95
Total votes			8,130,831	100

Judicial elections

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1982.

Ballot measure

Illinois voters voted on a single ballot measure in 1982.^[16] In order to be approved, the measures required either 60% support among those specifically voting on the amendment or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.^[16]

Bail Amendment

Voters approved the Bail Amendment (also known as "Amendment 1"), a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which amended Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution of Illinois to expand the population that could be denied bail to include those who committed an offense that could result in a life imprisonment sentence.^[16][17]

Bail Amendment[5][16][17]
Option	Votes	% of votes on referendum	% of all ballots cast
Yes	1,389,796	85.31	36.03
No	239,380	14.69	6.21
Total votes	1,629,176	100	42.24
Voter turnout	27.31%

Amendment results by county

Yes:

•   90–100%
•   80–90%
•   70–80%

Local elections

Local elections were held.