1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois
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 Results by county Brooks: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Slattery: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1940.[1] The election was triggered by the vacancy left by the death in office of Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis. After Lewis' death, James M. Slattery was appointed to fill the seat in the interim period until the individual elected in the special election would be sworn-in. Slattery was the Democratic Party's nominee in the special election. He was defeated by Republican nominee Charles W. Brooks.
Election information
The primaries and general election coincided with those for other federal elections (president and House) and those for state elections.[1]
Primaries were held April 9, 1940.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Benjamin S. Adamowski, State Representative from Chicago
- James M. Slattery, interim Senator and former chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James M. Slattery (incumbent) | 796,036 | 60.89 | |
| Democratic | Benjamin S. Adamowski | 511,231 | 39.11 | |
| Total votes | 1,307,267 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- C. Wayland Brooks, nominee for Governor in 1936
- Ralph E. Church, U.S. Representative from Evanston
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | C. Wayland Brooks | 618,857 | 59.61 | |
| Republican | Ralph E. Church | 419,315 | 40.39 | |
| Total votes | 1,038,172 | 100 | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | C. Wayland Brooks | 2,045,924 | 50.07 | |
| Democratic | James M. Slattery (incumbent) | 2,025,097 | 49.56 | |
| Prohibition | Enoch A. Holtwick | 3,844 | 0.21 | |
| Socialist | Clarence H. Mayer | 2,281 | 0.16 | |
| Write-in | Others | 7 | 0.00 | |
| Majority | 20,827 | 0.51 | ||
| Turnout | 4,086,179 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 5, 1940 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1939-1940 PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 9, 1940" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential election of November 5, 1940" (PDF). Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
