1940 Illinois gubernatorial election
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The 1940 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940.
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November 5, 1940
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 County results Green: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hershey: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Before the primary, incumbent governor Henry Horner, a Democrat, opted not to seek a third term. In October, before the general election, his death in office made John Henry Stelle assume the governorship. However, Stelle had previously failed to win the Democratic nomination in the primary.
Republican former Attorney Dwight H. Green won the election, defeating his Democratic opponent, former Mayor of Taylorville Harry B. Hershey, with 52.93% of the vote.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Harry B. Hershey, former mayor of Taylorville
- Albert Lagerstedt, former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives[1][2] and unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination in 1938 United States Senate election in Illinois
- Robert W. McKinlay
- James O. Monroe
- John H. Stelle, incumbent lieutenant governor of Illinois
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harry B. Hershey | 815,604 | 59.73 | |
| Democratic | John H. Stelle | 484,454 | 35.48 | |
| Democratic | Robert W. McKinlay | 27,593 | 2.02 | |
| Democratic | James O. Monroe | 24,862 | 1.82 | |
| Democratic | Albert Lagerstedt | 12,925 | 0.95 | |
| Write-in | 2 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 1,365,440 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Dwight H. Green, Republican nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1939
- Richard J. Lyons, former Illinois state representative
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dwight H. Green | 610,025 | 57.14 | |
| Republican | Richard J. Lyons | 457,643 | 42.86 | |
| Total votes | 1,067,668 | 100 | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dwight H. Green | 2,197,778 | 52.93 | |
| Democratic | Harry B. Hershey | 1,940,833 | 46.74 | |
| Socialist Labor | Arthur G. McDowell | 7,523 | 0.18 | |
| Prohibition | Clay Freeman Gaumer | 6,467 | 0.16 | |
| Total votes | 4,152,622 | 100 | ||