From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1978 United States Senate election in Illinois
|
|
Turnout
| 54.82%
|
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|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/1978_United_States_Senate_election_in_Illinois_results_map_by_county.svg/168px-1978_United_States_Senate_election_in_Illinois_results_map_by_county.svg.png) County results
Percy:
40?50%
50?60%
60?70%
Seith:
50?60%
60?70%
|
|
The
1978 United States Senate election in Illinois
took place on November 7, 1978.
[1]
Incumbent
Republican
United States Senator
Charles H. Percy
ran for re-election to a third term in the
United States Senate
. Percy was opposed by
Democratic
nominee
Alex Seith
, an attorney who had been appointed to several local government positions.
Though Percy had been originally been expected to have an easy to reelection over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive.
As of 2023
[update]
, this was the last time the Republicans won the Class 2 Senate seat in Illinois, and also the last time a Republican Senate candidate has carried
Cook County
.
Election information
[
edit
]
The
primary
(held on March 21) and general election coincided with those for
House
and
state elections
.
[1]
[2]
Turnout
[
edit
]
Turnout in the primaries was 19.88%, with a total of 1,171,744 votes cast.
[2]
Turnout during the general election was 54.82%, with 3,184,764 votes cast.
[1]
Democratic primary
[
edit
]
Candidates
[
edit
]
Results
[
edit
]
Republican primary
[
edit
]
Candidates
[
edit
]
Results
[
edit
]
General election
[
edit
]
Candidates
[
edit
]
Campaign
[
edit
]
Though Percy had been expected to coast to re-election over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive. In the last few days of the campaign, a desperate Percy ran a television advertisement that featured him apologizing and acknowledging that, "I got your message and you're right."
[4]
Percy's last-ditch effort appeared to have paid off, as he was able to edge out Seith to win what would end up being his third and final term in the Senate.
Results
[
edit
]
According to an NBC News exit poll, Percy won 50% of black voters, 54% of voters 35 years old or younger, and 58% of Jewish voters.
[5]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
"OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 7, 1978"
(PDF)
. Illinois State Board of Elections
. Retrieved
June 25,
2020
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
"OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 21, 1978"
(PDF)
.
www.elections.il.gov
. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on March 27, 2022
. Retrieved
June 25,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
"Alex R. Seith"
.
www.lib.niu.edu
. Archived from
the original
on September 8, 2006
. Retrieved
January 11,
2022
.
- ^
"The Message of the 1978 Off-Year Elections"
. Time.com. November 20, 1978. Archived from
the original
on October 14, 2010
. Retrieved
April 4,
2015
.
- ^
"NBC News ? Live Election Night Coverage, November 7, 1978"
.
YouTube
. April 24, 2017.
Archived
from the original on December 20, 2021
. Retrieved
August 28,
2018
.
- ^
"Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978"
(PDF)
. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
. Retrieved
July 2,
2014
.
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