1954_United_States_Senate_election_in_Illinois
The United States Senate election in Illinois of 1954 took place on November 2, 1954.[1] Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas was reelected to a second term.
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| Turnout | 63.69% | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Douglas: 50–60% 60–70% Meeks: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The primary (held on April 13) and general election coincided with those for House and those for state elections.[1]
Turnout
Turnout in the primaries was 27.07%, with a total of 1,431,554 votes cast.[1][2] Despite a crowded field for the Republican nomination, the primaries experienced what The New York Times reporter Richard J. H. Johnston referred to as, "one of the lightest primary votes of recent years," in Illinois.[3]
Turnout during the general election was 63.69%, with 3,368,021 votes cast.[1][4] This election saw fewer votes cast than were cast in either of the two coinciding races for statewide executive offices in Illinois.[1]
Incumbent Paul Douglas was renominated, running unopposed.
Candidates
•Paul Douglas, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul H. Douglas (incumbent) | 587,084 | 100 | |
| Write-in | Others | 5 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 587,089 | 100 | ||
Joseph T. Meek won a crowded Republican primary.
Candidates
- John B. Crane
- Edgar M. Elbert, businessman and President of Lions Club International[5]
- Lawrence Daly, perennial candidate
- Herbert F. Geisler, Chicago alderman[6]
- Edward A. Hayes, former Commander of The American Legion
- Julius Klein, business executive, journalist, former spy and former United States Army general
- Park Livingston, Trustee of University of Illinois and 1952 Illinois gubernatorial candidate
- Joseph T. Meek, President of the Illinois Federation of Retail Associations[3]
- Deneen A. Watson
- Austin L. Wyman, attorney[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joseph T. Meek | 283,843 | 33.61 | |
| Republican | Edward A. Hayes | 181,490 | 21.49 | |
| Republican | Austin L. Wyman | 103,202 | 12.22 | |
| Republican | Park Livingston | 74,965 | 8.48 | |
| Republican | John B. Crane | 56,086 | 6.64 | |
| Republican | Julius Klein | 48,764 | 5.78 | |
| Republican | Edgar M. Elbert | 31,420 | 3.72 | |
| Republican | Herbert F. Geisler | 27,563 | 3.26 | |
| Republican | Lar "America First" Daly | 18,585 | 2.20 | |
| Republican | Deenen A. Watson | 18,496 | 2.19 | |
| Write-in | Others | 51 | 0.01 | |
| Total votes | 844,465 | 100 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Paul H. Douglas (incumbent) | 1,804,338 | 53.57 | |
| Republican | Joseph T. Meek | 1,563,683 | 46.43 | |
| Total votes | 3,368,021 | 100 | ||
- "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 2, 1954 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1953, 1954 SPECIAL ELECTION, 1953 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL, 13, 1954" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 7, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- Johnston, Richard J. H. (April 14, 1954). "G. O. P. PICKS MEEK IN ILLINOIS RACE; He Will Oppose Douglas for Senate -- Velde, Chiperfield Are Primary Victors". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 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]
- "EDGAR M. ELBERT". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 26, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- "Senatorial Candidates-4". Freeport Journal-Standard. March 22, 1954. p. 8. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- "AUSTIN L. WYMAN JR". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 5, 2001. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1960" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2019.