1920 United States presidential election in Illinois explained

See main article: 1920 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1920 United States presidential election in Illinois
Country:Illinois
Flag Year:1915
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Votes For Election:All 29 Illinois votes to the Electoral College
Previous Election:1916 United States presidential election in Illinois
Previous Year:1916
Next Election:1924 United States presidential election in Illinois
Next Year:1924
Election Date:November 2, 1920
Image1:Warren G Harding-Harris & Ewing crop.jpg
Nominee1:Warren G. Harding
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:Ohio
Running Mate1:Calvin Coolidge
Popular Vote1:1,420,480
Electoral Vote1:29
Percentage1:67.81%
Nominee2:James M. Cox
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Ohio
Running Mate2:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:534,395
Percentage2:25.51%
Map Size:350px
President
Before Election:Woodrow Wilson
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Warren G. Harding
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1920 United States presidential election in Illinois took place on November 2, 1920, as part of the 1920 United States presidential election. State voters chose 29 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

A strongly Democratic state during the Second Party System, Illinois became Republican-leaning after the American Civil War due to a combination of strong Free Soil Party heritage amongst its Yankee northern counties with the wartime conversion of some Virginian-settled rock-ribbed Democratic Southern Illinois counties[1] to Unionist Republicanism[2] à la Appalachia.[3] Between the Civil War and World War I, partisanship in Illinois – like in the Border States – largely re-fought the war, with the result that although the Democratic Party gained at least 43 percent of the statewide vote via Southern and German Catholic support in every election up to 1900, they never gained an absolute majority and carried the state's electoral votes only in 1892.[4]

Due to the Democratic Party's growing Populist and prohibitionist leanings, a decline in Democratic support after 1900 in its German Central Illinois strongholds transformed Illinois into a powerfully Republican state at all levels.[5] Even Woodrow Wilson in 1912 when the GOP was mortally divided carried the state by only a very narrow margin. Harding's managers were always confident he would carry Illinois as all but three GOP nominees had since that party was formed.[6] However, actual polls in Illinois vacillated, with a straw ballot in The Farm Journal even placing Cox at 45 percent in this strong Republican state.[7] As election day neared, estimates of a Republican plurality of “at least 264,000” were made via a national survey of newspaper editors.[8]

As it turned out, the editorial estimate was shown extremely conservative by the very earliest reports on polling day, which showed Harding winning by three-to-one.[9] Ultimately, Harding did not finish with so large a margin as this, but nonetheless he carried Illinois by 42.30 percentage points. This constitutes the biggest margin by which Illinois has been carried in the state's presidential election history, the best performance by any Republican candidate,[4] and the third-best vote percentage overall behind Andrew Jackson’s two efforts in 1828 and 1832. Harding carried all but three counties, and was the first-ever Republican victor in the following counties: Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Effingham, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jasper, Jersey, Mason, Pike, Schuyler, Wabash and White.[10]

Primaries

The general election coincided with the general election for other federal offices (Senate and House), as well as those for state offices.[11]

Turnout

The total vote in the state-run primary elections (Democratic, Republican, Socialist) was 408,586.[11]

The total vote in the general election was 2,094,714.[11] Both major parties, as well as the Socialist Party, held non-binding state-run preferential primaries on April 13.[11]

Democratic

Election Name:1920 Illinois Democratic presidential primary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1916 Illinois Democratic presidential primary
Previous Year:1916
Next Election:1924 Illinois Democratic presidential primary
Next Year:1924
Type:presidential
Country:Illinois
Candidate1:Edward I. Edwards
Home State1:New Jersey
Color1:F653A6
Popular Vote1:6,117
Percentage1:33.04%
Candidate2:William G. McAdoo
Home State2:California
Color2:006A4E
Popular Vote2:3,401
Percentage2:18.37%
Candidate3:William Jennings Bryan
Home State3:Nebraska
Popular Vote3:1,879
Percentage3:10.15%
Map Size:280px

The 1920 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on April 13, 1920 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's state primaries ahead of the 1920 presidential election.

The popular vote was a non-binding "beauty contest". Delegates were instead elected by direct votes by congressional district on delegate candidates.[11] Delegate candidates either were listed on the ballot with their preference on for a particular presidential candidate, or were listed as expressing no preference.[11] However, these delegates officially were uninstructed. 50 of the sate's 58 convention delegates were elected by this means, with eight further uninstructed delegates later being selected May 10 at the state party convention.[12]

Republican

Election Name:1920 Illinois Republican presidential primary
Country:Illinois
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1916 Illinois Republican presidential primary
Previous Year:1916
Next Election:1924 Illinois Republican presidential primary
Next Year:1924
Candidate1:Frank Orren Lowden
Home State1:Illinois
Color1:5d73e5
Popular Vote1:197,073
Percentage1:50.54%
Candidate2:Leonard Wood
Home State2:New Hampshire
Color2:a59400
Popular Vote2:132,522
Percentage2:33.98%
Candidate3:Hiram Johnson
Home State3:California
Color3:668c63
Popular Vote3:56,242
Percentage3:14.42%
Map Size:100px

The 1920 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on April 13, 1920 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's state primaries ahead of the 1920 presidential election.

The preference vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct vote in each congressional district on delegate candidates.[11] Delegate candidates either were listed on the ballot with their preference on for a particular presidential candidate, or were listed as expressing no preference.[11]

Socialist

Election Name:1920 Illinois Socialist presidential primary
Country:Illinois
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1916 Illinois Socialist presidential primary
Previous Year:1916
Candidate1:Eugene V. Debs
Home State1:Indiana
Color1:CD3700
Popular Vote1:102
Percentage1:96.23%
Map Size:100px

The 1920 Illinois Socialist presidential primary was held on April 13, 1920 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Socialist Party's state primaries ahead of the 1920 presidential election.

Results

Presidential CandidateRunning MatePartyElectoral Vote (EV)Popular Vote (PV)
Warren G. Harding of OhioCalvin CoolidgeRepublican291,420,48067.81%
James M. CoxFranklin D. RooseveltDemocratic0534,39525.51%
Eugene V. DebsSeymour StedmanSocialist074,7473.57%
Parley P. ChristensenMax S. HayesFarmer-Labor049,6302.37%
Aaron S. WatkinsLeigh ColvinProhibition011,2160.54%
William Wesley CoxAugust GillhausSocialist Labor03,4710.17%
Robert MacauleyRichard BarnumSingle Tax07750.04%

Results by county

CountyWarren Gamaliel Harding
Republican
James Middleton Cox
Democratic
Eugene Victor Debs
Socialist
Parley Parker Christensen
Farmer-Labor
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast[13]
data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %data-sort-type="number" data-sort-type="number" %
Adams12,85257.07%7,22232.07%3731.66%1,8778.33%1970.87%5,63025.00%22,521
Alexander5,28761.92%3,16737.09%580.68%50.06%220.26%2,12024.83%8,539
Bond3,66264.67%1,53327.07%450.79%1913.37%2324.10%2,12937.59%5,663
Boone5,38689.39%4968.23%1041.73%100.17%290.48%4,89081.16%6,025
Brown1,59045.08%1,86652.91%70.20%50.14%591.67%-276-7.83%3,527
Bureau9,96874.94%2,35417.70%6074.56%1861.40%1871.41%7,61457.24%13,302
Calhoun1,36764.82%70333.33%140.66%40.19%211.00%66431.48%2,109
Carroll5,19486.65%60610.11%871.45%651.08%420.70%4,58876.54%5,994
Cass3,95654.06%2,86139.10%530.72%3745.11%741.01%1,09514.96%7,318
Champaign15,57371.83%5,24724.20%1590.73%4091.89%2931.35%10,32647.63%21,681
Christian7,53552.75%5,39837.79%3472.43%7415.19%2641.85%2,13714.96%14,285
Clark5,31255.35%4,18143.57%330.34%70.07%640.67%1,13111.78%9,597
Clay3,68359.90%2,35838.35%751.22%90.15%240.39%1,32521.55%6,149
Clinton4,56463.71%1,66123.19%2413.36%6308.79%680.95%2,90340.52%7,164
Coles8,56358.76%5,81139.87%860.59%90.06%1050.72%2,75218.88%14,574
Cook635,19771.12%197,49922.11%52,4755.88%4,9660.56%3,0000.34%437,69849.01%893,137
Crawford5,18855.02%4,09243.39%520.55%20.02%961.02%1,09611.62%9,430
Cumberland3,09558.18%2,16240.64%110.21%30.06%490.92%93317.54%5,320
DeKalb10,37483.93%1,70013.75%1631.32%430.35%810.66%8,67470.17%12,361
DeWitt5,00160.68%3,07937.36%520.63%390.47%710.86%1,92223.32%8,242
Douglas4,88565.21%2,30830.81%510.68%1481.98%991.32%2,57734.40%7,491
DuPage12,28082.00%2,08413.92%3492.33%1210.81%1420.95%10,19668.08%14,976
Edgar6,75053.29%5,69444.95%1361.07%60.05%810.64%1,0568.34%12,667
Edwards3,00279.21%74219.58%00.00%00.00%461.21%2,26059.63%3,790
Effingham4,17657.47%2,98541.08%430.59%160.22%470.65%1,19116.39%7,267
Fayette5,75858.48%3,82438.84%1081.10%450.46%1111.13%1,93419.64%9,846
Ford4,99582.40%95815.80%220.36%300.49%570.94%4,03766.60%6,062
Franklin7,60851.11%4,89432.88%5843.92%1,63010.95%1701.14%2,71418.23%14,886
Fulton9,52359.25%5,29332.93%7434.62%2481.54%2651.65%4,23026.32%16,072
Gallatin2,18449.94%2,00045.74%370.85%1162.65%360.82%1844.21%4,373
Greene3,68547.96%3,77649.15%630.82%1101.43%490.64%-91-1.18%7,683
Grundy4,64780.05%80313.83%821.41%2253.88%480.83%3,84466.22%5,805
Hamilton3,22054.71%2,59144.02%270.46%240.41%240.41%62910.69%5,886
Hancock7,37957.75%5,12540.11%640.50%320.25%1781.39%2,25417.64%12,778
Hardin1,55561.54%94337.32%80.32%100.40%110.44%61224.22%2,527
Henderson2,74776.65%74020.65%230.64%140.39%601.67%2,00756.00%3,584
Henry12,37978.96%2,53016.14%4362.78%1290.82%2031.29%9,84962.82%15,677
Iroquois9,18677.79%2,42920.57%350.30%200.17%1391.18%6,75757.22%11,809
Jackson8,00359.96%4,57534.28%750.56%5904.42%1040.78%3,42825.68%13,347
Jasper3,27951.63%2,97146.78%410.65%60.09%540.85%3084.85%6,351
Jefferson5,71153.57%4,77244.77%640.60%300.28%830.78%9398.81%10,660
Jersey2,87357.90%1,99940.29%230.46%200.40%470.95%87417.61%4,962
Jo Daviess6,09876.25%1,60420.06%2032.54%280.35%640.80%4,49456.20%7,997
Johnson2,97270.91%1,13727.13%380.91%280.67%160.38%1,83543.78%4,191
Kane26,83282.82%4,32313.34%7562.33%2780.86%2090.65%22,50969.48%32,398
Kankakee12,85379.33%2,82817.46%820.51%3532.18%850.52%10,02561.88%16,201
Kendall3,45987.99%43911.17%80.20%30.08%220.56%3,02076.83%3,931
Knox12,55973.85%2,85216.77%2331.37%1,1846.96%1771.04%9,70757.08%17,005
Lake15,71282.28%2,32112.15%7874.12%1590.83%1170.61%13,39170.12%19,096
LaSalle23,75173.23%6,62620.43%9272.86%9432.91%1870.58%17,12552.80%32,434
Lawrence4,72054.17%3,70742.54%1001.15%70.08%1802.07%1,01311.62%8,714
Lee7,61578.94%1,71517.78%1731.79%380.39%1051.09%5,90061.17%9,646
Livingston10,38274.83%3,10122.35%740.53%1951.41%1220.88%7,28152.48%13,874
Logan6,95764.79%3,23230.10%1991.85%1981.84%1521.42%3,72534.69%10,738
Macon16,48665.27%7,91731.35%3781.50%2360.93%2400.95%8,56933.93%25,257
Macoupin8,70044.68%5,93630.49%1,2086.20%3,32017.05%3061.57%2,76414.20%19,470
Madison19,24957.82%10,14930.48%1,0003.00%2,6137.85%2810.84%9,10027.33%33,292
Marion6,62052.06%4,35134.22%1571.23%1,37910.85%2081.64%2,26917.85%12,715
Marshall3,73467.61%1,56828.39%1081.96%801.45%330.60%2,16639.22%5,523
Mason3,84258.40%2,59539.44%430.65%290.44%701.06%1,24718.95%6,579
Massac3,73182.98%68815.30%140.31%290.65%340.76%3,04367.68%4,496
McDonough7,22163.18%3,93034.38%1181.03%300.26%1311.15%3,29128.79%11,430
McHenry9,88585.10%1,53613.22%1040.90%280.24%630.54%8,34971.88%11,616
McLean16,68065.27%6,41125.09%1330.52%1,9047.45%4271.67%10,26940.18%25,555
Menard2,88259.19%1,86438.28%300.62%240.49%691.42%1,01820.91%4,869
Mercer5,53174.58%1,57421.22%901.21%1021.38%1191.60%3,95753.36%7,416
Monroe2,95570.11%93222.11%421.00%2716.43%150.36%2,02348.00%4,215
Montgomery7,42952.92%4,75633.88%2161.54%1,3659.72%2731.94%2,67319.04%14,039
Morgan8,16962.87%4,44734.23%1511.16%1140.88%1120.86%3,72228.65%12,993
Moultrie3,27955.76%2,51342.73%240.41%170.29%480.82%76613.02%5,881
Ogle9,32282.99%1,72015.31%750.67%130.12%1030.92%7,60267.68%11,233
Peoria24,54166.00%9,45325.42%7121.91%2,1745.85%3020.81%15,08840.58%37,182
Perry4,59858.47%2,47831.51%1011.28%5446.92%1431.82%2,12026.96%7,864
Piatt4,28368.16%1,90330.28%340.54%40.06%600.95%2,38037.87%6,284
Pike5,56454.12%4,27941.62%1781.73%680.66%1911.86%1,28512.50%10,280
Pope2,48677.42%68721.40%240.75%80.25%60.19%1,79956.03%3,211
Pulaski4,00262.85%2,27635.74%450.71%80.13%370.58%1,72627.10%6,368
Putnam1,62374.04%36216.51%723.28%1195.43%160.73%1,26157.53%2,192
Randolph6,18062.54%3,18132.19%1351.37%3053.09%810.82%2,99930.35%9,882
Richland3,02657.05%2,17440.99%410.77%50.09%581.09%85216.06%5,304
Rock Island21,90871.32%5,20816.95%2,2217.23%1,1233.66%2590.84%16,70054.36%30,719
Saline6,72252.96%3,50027.58%700.55%2,32118.29%790.62%3,22225.39%12,692
Sangamon21,82059.42%11,00029.95%7522.05%2,6917.33%4601.25%10,82029.46%36,723
Schuyler2,80053.86%2,25843.43%240.46%80.15%1092.10%54210.43%5,199
Scott2,07552.25%1,78644.98%190.48%441.11%471.18%2897.28%3,971
Shelby6,35153.93%5,11343.42%680.58%330.28%2111.79%1,23810.51%11,776
St. Clair21,68151.34%14,03233.23%1,3263.14%4,85111.49%3410.81%7,64918.11%42,231
Stark2,75079.57%66119.13%130.38%160.46%160.46%2,08960.45%3,456
Stephenson9,57074.64%2,77221.62%2722.12%990.77%1080.84%6,79853.02%12,821
Tazewell7,67962.69%3,64029.71%2291.87%5464.46%1561.27%4,03932.97%12,250
Union3,11945.55%3,66053.45%250.37%50.07%380.55%-541-7.90%6,847
Vermilion18,17561.74%8,63429.33%3891.32%1,7145.82%5271.79%9,54132.41%29,439
Wabash2,87152.40%2,51445.88%230.42%100.18%611.11%3576.52%5,479
Warren6,30969.41%2,23624.60%1051.16%2803.08%1601.76%4,07344.81%9,090
Washington4,51970.76%1,10217.26%661.03%65410.24%450.70%3,41753.51%6,386
Wayne4,90860.50%3,13738.67%250.31%20.02%410.51%1,77121.83%8,113
White4,49451.23%4,14847.29%891.01%50.06%360.41%3463.94%8,772
Whiteside10,92381.74%1,92714.42%1250.94%2201.65%1681.26%8,99667.32%13,363
Will21,74676.37%5,41019.00%4901.72%6822.40%1460.51%16,33657.37%28,474
Williamson10,11856.73%4,72826.51%2961.66%2,40213.47%2901.63%5,39030.22%17,834
Winnebago19,91379.23%3,35513.35%1,1754.67%5072.02%1840.73%16,55865.88%25,134
Woodford4,92969.06%1,97727.70%761.06%690.97%861.20%2,95241.36%7,137
Totals1,420,48067.81%534,39525.51%74,7473.57%49,6302.37%15,4620.74%886,08542.30%2,094,714

Analysis

Despite Illinois’ position within the core of reliable Republican states in the “System of 1896”, at the beginning of the 1920 presidential campaign former Progressive Illinois Republican Harold L. Ickes came out against Republican nominee Warren Harding and supported the Democratic nominee, Ohio Governor James Cox.[14] Cox would visit the state on two occasions during his national fall campaign tour, once in September[15] and once in October.[16] In the first campaign, Cox claimed that Harding wanted to fund his campaign by imposing an onerous levy upon the coal dealers of Chicago, and said the Democrats were making every effort to win the state,[15] despite it having been Charles Evans Hughes’ fifth-strongest nationwide in 1916.[17] In the second, Cox criticized Harding’s stand on the League of Nations,[16] and argued that it would benefit American business and spiritual morals to enter therein.

At the end of the third week of October, another Illinois Republican leader in Morton D. Hull followed Ickes in deserting Harding and endorsing Cox, this time exclusively over the issue of the League of Nations.[18]

See also

Notes and References

  1. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
  2. Wells, Damon; Stephen Douglas: The Last Years, 1857–1861, p. 285
  3. Copeland, James E.; ‘Where Were the Kentucky Unionists and Secessionists’; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, volume 71, no. 4 (October, 1973), pp. 344-363
  4. Web site: Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Illinois. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  5. [Elmer Eric Schattschneider|Schattschneider, Elmer Eric]
  6. Price, Harry N.; ‘Harding Back Home: Speaks to First Voters Today From His Front Porch’; The Washington Post, October 18, 1920, p. 1
  7. ‘Farm Vote Favors Harding: Farm Journal Poll Puts Cox Ahead, However, in Illinois and Indiana’; New York Times, October 22, 1920, p. 4
  8. ‘Harding 363 Votes, Cox 168, Is Result Obtained From Estimates by 47 Editors: Maryland, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Arizona, With Solid South, Are Only States Conceded to Democratic Candidate in Nation-Wide Canvass’; Washington Post, October 31, 1920, p. 1
  9. ‘Illinois for G.O.P. by Half a Million: Harding Gets 3 to 1 Vote Over Cox – Carries Cook County by 150,000’; Washington Post, November 3, 1920, p. 1
  10. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 180-184
  11. Web site: OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE General Election, Nov. 2, 1920 Delegates to Constitutional Convention Questions of Public Policy, Nov, 4, 1919 Judicial Elections, 1919-1920 PRIMARY ELECTIONS General Primary, Sept, 15, 1920 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Sept. 10, 1919 Presidential Preference April 13, 1920. https://web.archive.org/web/20210817091137/https://www.elections.il.gov/DocDisplay.aspx?doc=Downloads/ElectionOperations/VoteTotals/Archived/1920/PE%20and%20GE%201920.pdf. dead. August 17, 2021. Illinois State Board of Elections. 5 August 2020.
  12. News: Democratic National Convention, 1920. . June 20, 1920.
  13. Illinois State Board of Elections; Official Vote of the State of Illinois Cast at the General Election November 2, 1920 (highest elector for each slate)
  14. ‘H.L. Ickes Deserts Harding as “Unfit”: Ex-Progressive Leader and Illinois Republican Delegate Comes Out for Cox’; New York Times, August 19, 1920, p. 11
  15. ‘Cox Gives Leads for Fund Inquiry: Charges That the Republicans Fixed $80,000 Levy for Chicago Coal Dealers Last Summer’; New York Times, September 6, 1920, p. 1
  16. ‘Harding Is Wabbler Cox Says in Attack: Declares Senator Presents the “Most Pitiable Spectacle” in Our Political History’; New York Times, October 13, 1920, p. 3
  17. Web site: 1916 Presidential Election Statistics. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2018-03-05.
  18. ‘Hull, Illinois Leader, Repudiates Harding: Former Congressman Announces His Support of Cox on League of Nations Issue’; New York Times, October 21, 1920, p. 1