1950_Illinois_elections
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1950.[1]
1950 was a midterm election year in the United States.
Turnout
In the primary election 1,789,787 ballots were cast (912,563 Democratic and 877,224 Republican).[1]
United States Senate
Incumbent Senate Majority Leader Scott W. Lucas, a two-term incumbent Democratic senator, lost reelection to Republican Everett Dirksen.
United States House
All 26 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1950.
Republicans flipped four Republican-held seats, leaving the Illinois House delegation to consist of 18 Republicans and 8 Democrats.
Treasurer
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Incumbent first-term Treasurer, Democrat Ora Smith, did not seek reelection, instead running for Clerk of the Supreme Court. Republican William Stratton was elected to succeed him, earning Stratton a second non-consecutive term as Treasurer.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael Howlett | 680,161 | 100 | |
| Write-in | Others | 3 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 680,164 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Former Illinois Treasurer and congressman William Stratton won the Republican primary. He defeated Cook County Treasurer Louis E. Nelson,[3] former congressman James Simpson Jr., fellow former Illinois Treasurer Warren E. Wright, Chicago alderman Theron W. Merryman,[4] among others.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William G. Stratton | 290,242 | 38.54 | |
| Republican | Louis E. Nelson | 214,113 | 28.43 | |
| Republican | James Simpson | 126,122 | 16.75 | |
| Republican | Warren E. Wright | 61,103 | 8.11 | |
| Republican | Theron W. Merryman | 25,194 | 3.35 | |
| Republican | Herbert B. Blanchard | 23,556 | 3.13 | |
| Republican | Henry J. Samuel | 12,864 | 1.71 | |
| Total votes | 753,194 | 100 | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William G. Stratton | 1,959,734 | 55.34 | |
| Democratic | Michael Howlett | 1,568,765 | 44.30 | |
| Prohibition | Enoch A. Holtwick | 13,050 | 0.37 | |
| Write-in | Others | 9 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 3,541,558 | 100 | ||
Superintendent of Public Instruction
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Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Vernon L. Nickell, a Republican, was reelected to a third term.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | C. Hobart Engle | 475,461 | 100 | |
| Democratic | Mark A. Peterman | 218,021 | 100 | |
| Write-in | Others | 1 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 693,483 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vernon L. Nickell (incumbent) | 521,759 | 74.41 | |
| Republican | Clyde Franklin Burgess | 179,415 | 25.59 | |
| Total votes | 701,174 | 100 | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vernon L. Nickell (incumbent) | 1,995,495 | 56.77 | |
| Democratic | C. Hobart Engle | 1,505,257 | 42.82 | |
| Prohibition | Henry L. Lundquist | 14,298 | 0.41 | |
| Total votes | 3,515,050 | 100 | ||
Clerk of the Supreme Court
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Incumbent Clerk of the Supreme Court Earle Benjamin Searcy, a Republican, was reelected.
Democratic primary
Illinois Treasurer Ora Smith won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ora Smith | 674,744 | 100 | |
| Write-in | Others | 2 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 674,746 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Incumbent Earle Benjamin Searcy won the Republican primary, defeating three challengers.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Earle Benjamin Searcy (incumbent) | 382,131 | 55.90 | |
| Republican | William H. Brown | 153,943 | 22.52 | |
| Republican | George C. Moffat | 91,004 | 13.31 | |
| Republican | Eugene T. Devitt | 56,482 | 8.26 | |
| Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 683,561 | 100 | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Earle Benjamin Searcy (incumbent) | 1,905,704 | 54.42 | |
| Democratic | James P. Alexander | 1,584,162 | 45.23 | |
| Prohibition | Irving B. Gilbert | 12,291 | 0.35 | |
| Write-in | Others | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 3,502,158 | 100 | ||
State Senate
Seats in the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1950. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.
State House of Representatives
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1950. Republicans remained in control of the chamber.
Trustees of University of Illinois
An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois.
New Republican members Harold "Red" Grange Wayne A. Johnston, and Herbert B. Megran were elected.[1][5]
Second-term Democrat Karl A. Meyer lost reelection.[1][5] Democrat Kenney E. Williamson (serving his first full, and second overall term) also lost reelection.[1][5] Incumbent first-term Democrat Walter W. McLaughlin was not nominated for reelection, with former member Harold Pogue nominated instead.[1][5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harold "Red" Grange | 1,945,936 | 18.72 | |
| Republican | Wayne A. Johnston | 1,895,867 | 18.24 | |
| Republican | Herbert B. Megran | 1,852,747 | 17.83 | |
| Democratic | Dr. Karl A. Meyer (incumbent) | 1,648,772 | 15.86 | |
| Democratic | Kenney E. Williamson (incumbent) | 1,533,087 | 14.75 | |
| Democratic | Harold Pogue | 1,517,449 | 14.60 | |
| Prohibition | Olive R. Wilson | 12,446½ | 0.12 | |
| Prohibition | Edward N. Himmel | 12,382½ | 0.12 | |
| Prohibition | Albert F. Schersten | 11,766½ | 0.11 | |
| Total votes | 10,393,858 | 100 | ||
Judicial elections
On April 11, two special elections were held, one to fill a vacancy of the Circuit Court of Cook County and one to fill a vacancy on the Superior Court of Cook County.
Ballot measure
One measure was put before voters in 1950, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.
In order to be approved, it required approval equal to a majority of voters voting in the entire general election.[6]
Illinois Gateway Amendment
The Illinois Gateway Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment to Section 2 of Article XIV of the Constitution, was approved by voters.[1][7] It made it so that the legislature would be able to propose modifications of up to three articles of the constitution per session, and also made it so that future constitutional amendments would require either a two-thirds vote of the voters voting on the question or a majority of voter voting in the election.[7]
| Illinois Gateway Amendment[1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Option | Votes on measure | % of all ballots cast |
| Yes | 2,512,323 | 67.33 |
| No | 735,903 | 19.72 |
| Total votes | 3,248,226 | 87.05 |
Local elections were held.
- "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, November 7, 1950 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1950, • PRIMARY ELECTION General Primary, April 11, 1950" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- The National Corporation Reporter. United States Corporation Bureau, Incorporated. 1947. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- Ambrosius, Andy (March 8, 2013). "Nearly $500K Injected into Merryman Park Renovations (PHOTOS)". Lake View, IL Patch. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- "Trustees, University of Illinois Board of Trustees" (PDF). University of Illinois. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- Illinois Constitution of 1870 ARTICLE XIV Section 2
- "Illinois Gateway Amendment (1950)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 4, 2020.