2014 United States Senate election in Illinois

The 2014 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the election of the governor of Illinois, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

2014 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 2008 November 4, 2014 2020 →
Turnout	48.16%
Nominee Dick Durbin Jim Oberweis Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,929,637 1,538,522 Percentage 53.55% 42.69%
County results Durbin:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Oberweis:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
U.S. senator before election Dick Durbin Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Dick Durbin Democratic

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin ran for re-election to a fourth term.^[1] He was unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Republicans nominated state senator and perennial candidate for higher office Jim Oberweis.

Durbin defeated Oberweis and Libertarian Sharon Hansen with 53.5% of the vote, the smallest vote total of any of his Senate elections.

Background

Dick Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996, and was re-elected by increasingly larger margins in 2002 and 2008. He has served as Senate Majority Whip since 2007 and sought a fourth term in office.^[1]

See also: 2014 Illinois elections § Turnout

For the primary election, turnout was 15.77%, with 1,183,429 votes cast.^[2][3] For the general election, turnout was 48.16%, with 3,603,519 votes cast.^[2][3]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Dick Durbin, incumbent U.S. senator^[1]

Results

Democratic primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dick Durbin (incumbent)	429,041	100.00%
Total votes			429,041	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Jim Oberweis, state senator, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004, candidate for governor in 2006, and nominee for IL-14 in 2008 special and 2008 general election^[4]
• Doug Truax, businessman^[5]

Removed

• Armen Alvarez, Multicultural Membership Development Manager of the Parent-Teacher Association (removed from the ballot)^[6][7]
• William Lee, blogger (removed from the ballot)^[6][7]

Declined

• Chad Koppie, Kane County Regional Board of Schools trustee, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992, 1996 and 2008 and candidate for governor in 1998^[8]
• Joe Walsh, conservative radio talk show host and former U.S. representative^[9]

Endorsements

Doug Truax

Individuals

• Newt Gingrich, former United States speaker of the House of Representatives
• Aaron Schock, U.S. representative (R-IL)
• John Shimkus, U.S. representative (R-IL)

Newspapers'

• Chicago Tribune^[10]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Jim Oberweis	Doug Truax	Other	Undecided
Market Shares Corp.[11]	February 5–8, 2014	600	± 4%	52%	15%	2%	32%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Chad Koppie	William Lee	Jim Oberweis	Joe Ruiz	Doug Truax	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	November 22–25, 2013	375	± 5.1%	3%	4%	42%	1%	7%	—	42%

Results

Results by county

  Oberweis

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

  Truax

•   50–60%

Republican primary results^[3][13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Oberweis	423,097	56.08%
	Republican	Doug Truax	331,237	43.91%
	Republican	Write-in	54	<0.01%
Total votes			754,388	100.00%

Independents and third party

Candidates

Declared

• Sharon Hansen (Libertarian)^[14]
• Fuji Shioura, write-in candidate (Independent)^[15]

Removed from the ballot

• Chad Koppie (Constitution)^[16]
• Omar Lopez (Green)^[17][18]

General election

Fundraising

Campaign Finance Reports through November 24, 2014
Candidate	Raised	Spent
Dick Durbin	$10,309,888	$12,453,951
Jim Oberweis	$2,388,389	$2,416,774
Sharon Hansen	$2,420	$2,367
Source: OpenSecrets[19]

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 22, 2014

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[20]	Solid D	November 3, 2014
Sabato's Crystal Ball[21]	Safe D	November 3, 2014
Rothenberg Political Report[22]	Safe D	November 3, 2014
Real Clear Politics[23]	Likely D	November 3, 2014

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Jim Oberweis (R)	Other	Undecided
We Ask America[24]	September 24, 2013	1,434	± 2.86%	50%	39%	—	11%
Public Policy Polling[12]	November 22–25, 2013	557	± 4.2%	51%	36%	—	12%
Rasmussen Reports[25]	April 9–10, 2014	750	± 4%	51%	37%	3%	10%
We Ask America[26]	June 12, 2014	1,116	± 2.93%	52%	39%	—	9%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[27]	July 5–24, 2014	5,324	± 2.1%	48%	41%	1%	11%
We Ask America[28]	July 30, 2014	1,049	± 3.04%	53%	38%	—	9%
Gravis Marketing[29]	August 4–5, 2014	567	± 4%	48%	38%	—	14%
Harper Polling*[30]	August 25–27, 2014	1,340	± 2.68%	44%	38%	8%[31]	10%
We Ask America[32]	August 27, 2014	1,054	± 3.02%	48%	41%	4%[31]	8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[33]	August 18 – September 2, 2014	4,363	± 3%	50%	38%	1%	10%
We Ask America[34]	September 4, 2014	1,014	± 3.08%	49%	39%	4%[31]	8%
Chicago Tribune[35]	September 3–12, 2014	800	± 3.5%	55%	32%	5%[31]	7%
Rasmussen Reports[25]	September 24–25, 2014	750	± 4%	51%	37%	4%	8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[36]	September 20 – October 1, 2014	3,955	± 2%	51%	39%	0%	9%
We Ask America[37]	October 7, 2014	1,086	± 2.98%	51%	38%	4%[31]	6%
UIS Survey Research[38]	October 2–8, 2014	723	± 3.7%	50%	35%	1%	14%
Southern Illinois University[39]	September 23 – October 15, 2014	691 LV	± 3.7%	47%	37%	0%	12%
		1,006 RV	± 3%	49%	32%	0%	14%
APC Research[40]	October 16–21, 2014	800	± 3.5%	50%	36%	7%[41]	6%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[36]	October 16–23, 2014	3,519	± 3%	52%	39%	1%	9%
McKeon & Associates[42]	October 28, 2014	823	± 3.9%	49%	39%	4%[31]	8%
Public Policy Polling[43]	November 1–2, 2014	1,064	± 3%	51%	41%	4%[31]	4%
				52%	44%	—	4%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Bob Dold (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[44]	November 26–28, 2012	500	± 4.4%	54%	33%	—	13%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Patrick Hughes (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[44]	November 26–28, 2012	500	± 4.4%	53%	31%	—	16%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Chad Koppie (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	November 22–25, 2013	557	± 4.2%	52%	35%	—	13%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Doug Truax (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	November 22–25, 2013	557	± 4.2%	51%	33%	—	16%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Joe Walsh (R)	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[44]	November 26–28, 2012	500	± 4.4%	54%	29%	—	17%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Dick Durbin (D)	Generic Republican	Other	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[44]	November 26–28, 2012	500	± 4.4%	52%	38%	—	10%

• * Internal poll for the Jim Oberweis campaign.

Results

Durbin won the election, despite winning only 14 of Illinois' 102 counties.^[45]

United States Senate election in Illinois, 2014^[46]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dick Durbin (incumbent)	1,929,637	53.55%	−14.29%
	Republican	Jim Oberweis	1,538,522	42.69%	+14.16%
	Libertarian	Sharon Hansen	135,316	3.76%	+2.82%
	Write-in		44	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			3,603,519	100.00%	N/A
	Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Bond (largest city: Greenville)
• Bureau (largest city: Princeton)
• Cass (largest city: Beardstown)
• Christian (largest city: Taylorville)
• Clay (largest city: Flora)
• Clinton (largest city: Breese)
• Coles (largest city: Charleston)
• DeKalb (largest city: DeKalb)
• Fayette (largest city: Vandalia)
• Greene (largest city: Carrollton)
• Grundy (largest city: Morris)
• Hamilton (largest city: McLeansboro)
• Hancock (largest city: Hamilton)
• Hardin (largest city: Rosiclare)
• Jefferson (largest city: Mount Vernon)
• Jersey (largest city: Jerseyville)
• Jo Daviess (largest city: Galena)
• Kankakee (largest city: Kankakee)
• Lawrence (largest city: Lawrenceville)
• Marion (largest city: Centralia)
• Marshall (largest city: Henry)
• Mason (largest city: Havana)
• Massac (largest city: Metropolis)
• McDonough (largest city: Macomb)
• Moultrie (largest city: Sullivan)
• Piatt (largest city: Monticello)
• Pike (largest city: Pittsfield)
• Pope (largest city: Golconda)
• Randolph (largest city: Chester)
• Saline (largest city: Harrisburg)
• Schuyler (largest city: Rushville)
• Shelby (largest city: Shelbyville)
• Union (largest city: Anna)
• Vermilion (largest city: Danville)
• Warren (largest city: Monmouth)
• White (largest city: Carmi)
• Will (largest city: Joliet)
• Williamson (largest city: Marion)
• Winnebago (largest city: Rockford)
• Franklin (largest city: West Frankfort)
• Henry (largest city: Kewanee)
• LaSalle (largest city: Ottawa)
• Macon (largest city: Decatur)
• Macoupin (largest city: Carlinville)
• Montgomery (largest city: Litchfield)
• Perry (largest city: Du Quoin)
• Boone (largest city: Belvidere)
• Carroll (largest city: Savanna)
• DuPage (largest city: Aurora)
• Kane (largest city: Aurora)
• Kendall (largest village: Oswego)
• McHenry (largest city: Crystal Lake)
• McLean (largest city: Bloomington)
• Stephenson (largest city: Freeport)
• Adams (largest city: Quincy)
• Brown (largest city: Mount Sterling)
• Cumberland (largest city: Neoga)
• Crawford (largest city: Robinson)
• DeWitt (largest city: Clinton)
• Douglas (largest city: Tuscola)
• Clark (largest city: Marshall)
• Edgar (largest city: Paris)
• Effingham (largest city: Effingham)
• Ford (largest city: Paxton)
• Iroqouis (largest city: Watseka)
• Jasper (largest city: Newton)
• Lake (largest city: Waukegan)
• Livingston (largest city: Pontiac)
• Lee (largest city: Dixon)
• Logan (largest city: Lincoln)
• Madison (largest city: Granite City)
• Menard (largest city: Petersburg)
• Mercer (largest city: Aledo)
• Monroe (largest city: Waterloo)
• Morgan (largest city: Jacksonville)
• Ogle (largest city: Rochelle)
• Peoria (largest city: Peoria)
• Putnam (largest city: Hennpin)
• Richland (largest city: Olney)
• Sangamon (largest city: Springfield)
• Scott (largest city: Winchester)
• Tazewell (largest city: Pekin)
• Wabash (largest city: Mount Carmel)
• Washington (largest city: Nashville)

See also

• 2014 United States Senate elections
• 2014 United States elections
• 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois
• 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election