1994 was a midterm election year in the United States.

The 1994 midterm elections saw a strong national showing by the Republican Party, which was dubbed the Republican Revolution.

Turnout edit

For the primaries, turnout was 31.91%, with 1,963,606 ballots cast (with 1,186,888 Democratic ballots, 729,372 Republican ballots, 674 Harold Washington, and 46,619 nonpartisan ballots cast).^[1]

For the general election, turnout was 52.61%, with 3,219,122 ballots cast.^[3]

Straight-ticket voting edit

Illinois had a straight-ticket voting option in 1994.^[3]

United States House edit

All Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1994.

The Republican Party flipped two seats from the Democratic Party. Among the two Democrats unseated by Republicans was Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski, who had been in congress since 1959.^[4] This left the party composition of Illinois' House delegation 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor edit

Incumbent Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, won reelection in the greatest landslide in Illinois history, excepting the election of 1818. Edgar carried 101 of the state's 102 counties over the Democratic nominee, State Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch, with Netsch only winning Gallatin County. To date, this is the most recent statewide election in which Cook County voted for the Republican candidate.

Attorney General edit

Incumbent Attorney General Roland Burris, a Democrat, did not run for a second term, instead opting (ultimately unsuccessfully) to seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Republican Jim Ryan was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary edit

Attorney and 1992 U.S. Senate candidate Al Hofeld won the Democratic primary, defeating former Chicago alderman Martin J. Oberman.^[1][5]

Republican primary edit

DuPage County state's attorney Jim Ryan won the Republican primary, defeating Metra Chairman Jeffrey Ladd and attorney Themis Anagost.^[5][6] Ryan had been the unsuccessful Republican nominee for attorney general in 1990.^[6]

General election edit

Secretary of State edit

Incumbent Secretary of State George Ryan was reelected to a second term. As of 2022^[update], this was the last time a Republican was elected Illinois Secretary of State.^{[original research?]}

Democratic primary edit

Treasurer of Illinois Pat Quinn won the Democratic primary, defeating Illinois State Senator Denny Jacobs and Larouche movement member Rose-Marie Love.^[7][8]

Originally, Kane County Coroner Mary Lou Kearns had also declared herself a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State, but she subsequently decided to instead run for Comptroller.^[9]

Republican primary edit

Incumbent George Ryan ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

General election edit

Comptroller edit

Incumbent Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch, a Democrat, did not seek reelection to a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Republican Loleta Didrickson was elected to succeed her in office.

Democratic primary edit

Illinois State Senator Earlean Collins defeated Kane County Coroner/Kane County Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Lou Kearns, Lyons Township Assessor Edward J. Schumann, and Larouche movement member Mark Bender.^[7][9][10]

Republican primary edit

General election edit

Treasurer edit

Incumbent Treasurer Pat Quinn, a Democrat, did not run for a second term, instead opting to run for Secretary of State. Republican Judy Baar Topinka was elected to succeed him in office.

Democratic primary edit

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board member Nancy Drew Sheehan defeated Thomas J. Beaudette in the Democratic primary.^[1][11]

Republican primary edit

Illinois State Senator Judy Baar Topinka won the Republican primary, running unopposed.

General election edit

State Senate edit

Some of the seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1994. Republicans retained control of the Illinois Senate, which they had captured a majority in during the preceding 1992 elections.^[2]

State House of Representatives edit

All of the seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1994. Republicans flipped control of the Illinois House of Representatives.^[2]

Trustees of the University of Illinois edit

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of the University of Illinois system for six-year terms.

This was the last election for Trustees of University of Illinois, as this would subsequently become an appointed office.^[12]

The election saw the reelection of incumbent Republican Judith Reese to a second term, as well as the election of new trustees Republican Bill Engelbrecht and Democrat Martha R. O'Malley.^[12]

First-term incumbent Democrat Ken Boyle lost reelection.^[3][12] First-term incumbent Republican Donald W. Grabowski was not nominated for reelection.^[3][12]

Judicial elections edit

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1994.^[3]

Ballot measures edit

Illinois voters voted on a two ballot measures in 1994,^[13] both of them legislatively referred constitutional amendment In order to be approved, the measures required either 60% support among those specifically voting on the amendment or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.^[13]

Illinois Criminal Defendants' Right to Meet Witnesses Amendment edit

Voters approved the Illinois Criminal Defendants' Right to Meet Witnesses Amendment (also known as "Amendment 1"), a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which amended Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of Illinois, which allowed criminal defendants be given the right to be confronted by witnesses.^[13][14]

Illinois Legislative Session Length Amendment edit

Voters approved Illinois Legislative Session Length (also known as "Amendment 2"), a legislatively referred constitutional amendment which amended Article IV, Section 10 of the Constitution of Illinois to change the legislative adjournment date from June 20 to May 3.^[13][15][16]

Local elections were held. These included county elections, such as the Cook County elections.