1928 United States Senate special election in Illinois

Summary

The 1928 United States Senate special election in Illinois took place on November 6, 1928.[1] The election was held due to the U.S. Senate's refusal to seat 1926 election winner, Republican Frank L. Smith, due to allegations of election fraud.[2][3][4] The election saw the election of Republican Otis F. Glenn.

1928 United States Senate special election in Illinois

← 1926 November 6, 1928 1932 →
 
Nominee Otis F. Glenn Anton Cermak
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,594,031 1,315,338
Percentage 54.46% 44.94%

Results by county
Glenn:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Cermak:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Vacant

Elected U.S. senator

Otis F. Glenn
Republican

Election information edit

The primaries and general election coincided with those for federal elections (president and House) and those for state elections.[1] Primaries were held April 10, 1928.[1]

Democratic primary edit

Candidates edit

Results edit

Democratic primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic A. J. Cermak 176,750 71.32
Democratic James O. Monroe 71,068 28.68
Write-in Others 3 0.00
Total votes 247,821 100

Republican primary edit

Candidates edit

Campaign edit

The Illinois Republican primaries of 1928 were plagued with electoral violence, and were dubbed the "Pineapple Primary".

Chicago mayor William Hale Thompson backed Smith for Senate, while Charles S. Deneen, who held Illinois' other U.S. Senate seat, backed Glenn. Thompson and Deneen controlled rival factions of the state's Republican Party.[6][7] Thompson's faction was vastly dominant at the time.[8]

Results edit

Republican primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Otis F. Glenn 611,897 63.26
Republican Frank L. Smith 355,356 36.74
Write-in Others 3 0.00
Total votes 967,256 100

General election edit

1928 United States Senate special election in Illinois[1][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Otis F. Glenn 1,594,031 54.46
Democratic A. J. Cermak 1,315,338 44.94
Socialist George Ross Kirkpatrick 13,002 0.44
Workers Max Bedacht 3,177 0.11
Socialist Labor G. A. Jenning 1,463 0.05
Majority 278,693 9.52
Turnout 2,927,011

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, November 6, 1928 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1927-1928 PRIMARY ELECTIONS GENERAL PRIMARY, April 10, 1928 PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, APRIL 10, 1928" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Frank Lloyd Wright Library Archived September 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Frank L. Smith photographs, US Senate campaign brochure, accessed September 16, 2017
  3. ^ Senate Historical Office, United States Senate. "The Election Case of Frank L. Smith of Illinois (1928)". senate.gov.
  4. ^ "Congressional Record - Senate" (PDF). govinfo.gov. January 19, 1927. pp. 1911–1982.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - James O. Monroe". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "Chicago's Primary Today". Washington Post. April 10, 1928. p. 6.
  7. ^ Wendt, Lloyd; Herman Kogan (1953). Big Bill of Chicago. Indianapolis, Indiana: Bobbs-Merrill. pp. 54–65.
  8. ^ "Machine Guns and Bombs May Decide the Chicago Primary Result Tuesday". Washington Post. April 8, 1928. p. M1.
  9. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1928" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 4, 2014.