1968 Illinois gubernatorial election
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The 1968 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 5, 1968.[1] Democratic nominee, incumbent governor Samuel H. Shapiro (who had assumed the governorship in May 1968, after Otto Kerner Jr. resigned in order to accept a judicial appointment), lost reelection to Republican nominee Richard B. Ogilvie, who was the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and former sheriff of Cook County.
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November 5, 1968
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| Turnout | 79.39%  4.76 pp | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Ogilvie: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Shapiro: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Background
The election coincided with those for federal offices (United States President, Senate, and House) and those for other state offices.[1] The election was part of the 1968 Illinois elections.
The primaries were held on June 11, 1968.[1]
In the primary, turnout was 24.44% with 1,332,832 votes cast.[1][2] In the general election, turnout was 79.39% with 4,506,000 votes cast.[1]
Democratic primary
Governor Samuel H. Shapiro won renomination without opposition.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Samuel H. Shapiro (incumbent) | 646,028 | 99.97 | |
| Write-in | 204 | 0.03 | ||
| Majority | 645,824 | 99.94 | ||
| Turnout | 626,232 | |||
Republican primary
Ogilvie won the nomination against 1964 lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Henry Altorfer, former Governor William G. Stratton, and S. Thomas Sutton.
Candidates
- John Henry Altorfer, 1964 lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
- Richard B. Ogilvie, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and former sheriff of Cook County
- William G. Stratton, former governor of Illinois
- S. Thomas Sutton
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard B. Ogilvie | 335,727 | 47.51 | |
| Republican | John Henry Altorfer | 288,904 | 40.89 | |
| Republican | William G. Stratton | 50,041 | 7.08 | |
| Republican | S. Thomas Sutton | 31,925 | 4.52 | |
| Write-in | 3 | 0.00 | ||
| Majority | 46,823 | 6.63 | ||
| Turnout | 706,600 | |||
General election
Ogilive won 83 of the state's 102 counties. However, among the 19 counties Shapiro won was the state's most populous, Cook County.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard B. Ogilvie | 2,307,295 | 51.21 | +3.13 | |
| Democratic | Samuel H. Shapiro (incumbent) | 2,179,501 | 48.37 | −3.56 | |
| Socialist Labor | Edward C. Gross | 19,175 | 0.43 | N/A | |
| Write-in | 29 | 0.00 | N/A | ||
| Majority | 127,794 | 2.84 | 6.69 | ||
| Turnout | 4,506,000 | 79.39 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||