The 1968 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

on November 5, 1968. Democratic nominee,

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

governor Samuel H. Shapiro (who had assumed the governorship in May 1968, after

Otto Kerner Jr. Otto Kerner Jr. (August 15, 1908 – May 9, 1976) was an American jurist and politician who served as the 33rd governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968 and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ...

resigned in order to accept a judicial appointment), lost reelection to

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee

Richard B. Ogilvie Richard Buell Ogilvie (February 22, 1923 – May 10, 1988) was the 35th governor of Illinois and served from 1969 to 1973. A wounded combat veteran of World War II, he became known as the mafia-fighting sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, in t ...

, who was the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and former sheriff of Cook County.

Election information

The election coincided with those for federal offices (

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, Senate, and House) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1968 Illinois elections. The primaries were held on June 11, 1968.

Turnout

In the primary, turnout was 24.44% with 1,332,832 votes cast. In the general election, turnout was 79.39% with 4,506,000 votes cast.

Democratic primary

Governor Samuel H. Shapiro won renomination without opposition.

Republican primary

Ogilvie won the nomination against

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Henry Altorfer, former Governor William G. Stratton, and S. Thomas Sutton.

Candidates

* John Henry Altorfer, 1964 lieutenant gubernatorial candidate *

of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and former sheriff of Cook County * William G. Stratton, former governor of Illinois *S. Thomas Sutton

Results

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 Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

References

{{Illinois elections

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...