The 1968 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 5, 1968 to elect one of Illinois's members to the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen won re-election to his fourth term.

Election information

The primaries and general election coincided with those for other federal ( United States president and

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

) and those for state elections. Primaries were held on June 11.

Turnout

Turnout in the primary elections was 23.90%, with a total of 1,303,375 votes cast. Turnout during the general election was 78.39%, with 4,449,757 votes cast.

Democratic primary

Illinois Attorney General

William G. Clark William G. Clark (July 16, 1924 – August 17, 2001) was an American politician and jurist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Clark went to Loyola University Chicago, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and received his law degree from D ...

won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.

Republican primary

Incumbent U.S. Senator, and Senate Minority Leader,

Everett M. Dirksen Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician. A Republican, he represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As Senate Minority Leader from 1959 unt ...

, won renomination over Roy C. Johnson.

General election

Results

Dirksen carried 99 of the state's 102 counties. Clark, however, carried the state's most populous county, Cook County, taking 54.07% of the vote, to Dirksen's 45.52%. Since Cook County was home to 50.65% of the votes cast in the election, the final result of the election was close, despite Dirksen winning a landslide 60.70% of the vote to Clark's 38.92% in the other 101 counties of the state. Additionally, in Cook County's principal city, Chicago (from which 31.02% of all statewide ballots were cast), Clark won 63.90% of the vote to Dirksen's 35.58%. Clark's majority in Chicago and Cook County was insufficient to roll back Dirksen's large majorities in the Chicago suburbs and Downstate.

References

{{Illinois elections Illinois United States Senate United States Senate elections in Illinois