| Election Name: | 1938 Illinois elections |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois elections |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1940 Illinois elections |
| Next Year: | 1940 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1938 |
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 8, 1938.[1]
Primaries were held April 12, 1938.[1]
1938 was a midterm election year in the United States.
In the primary election 2,550,642 ballots were cast (1,744,005 Democratic and 806,637 Republican).[1]
In the general election 3,274,814 ballots were cast.[1]
See main article: 1938 United States Senate election in Illinois.
See also: 1938 United States Senate elections.
Incumbent Democrat William H. Dieterich retired. Democrat Scott W. Lucas was elected to succeed him.
See also: 1938 United States House of Representatives elections.
All 27 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1938.
Republicans flipped four Democratic-held seats, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation 17 Democrats and 10 Republicans.
| Election Name: | 1938 Illinois State Treasurer election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois Treasurer election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1940 Illinois Treasurer election |
| Next Year: | 1940 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1938 |
| Nominee1: | Louie E. Lewis |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,595,354 |
| Percentage1: | 51.53% |
| Nominee2: | William R. McCauley |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,490,659 |
| Percentage2: | 48.15% |
| Treasurer | |
| Before Election: | John C. Martin |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Louie E. Lewis |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Incumbent Treasurer John C. Martin, a Democrat serving his second nonconsecutive term, did not seek reelection, instead opting to run for United States congress. Democrat Louie E. Lewis was elected to succeed him.
Incumbent congressman William G. Stratton won the Republican nomination.
| Election Name: | 1938 Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1934 Illinois elections#Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| Previous Year: | 1934 |
| Next Election: | 1942 Illinois elections#Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1938 |
| Nominee1: | John A. Wieland |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,559,286½ |
| Percentage1: | 51.35% |
| Nominee2: | Wiley B. Garvin |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,466,167 |
| Percentage2: | 48.29% |
| Superintendent | |
| Before Election: | John A. Wieland |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John A. Wieland |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Incumbent first-term Superintendent of Public Instruction John A. Wieland, a Democrat, won reelection.
| Election Name: | 1938 Illinois Clerk of the Supreme Court election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1932 Illinois elections#Clerk of the Supreme Court |
| Previous Year: | 1932 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois elections#Clerk of the Supreme Court |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1938 |
| Nominee1: | Adam F. Bloch |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,574,010 |
| Percentage1: | 51.47% |
| Nominee2: | George E. Lambur, Jr. |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,473,902 |
| Percentage2: | 48.20% |
| Clerk | |
| Before Election: | Adam F. Bloch |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Adam F. Bloch |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Incumbent first-term Clerk of the Supreme Court, Democrat Adam F. Bloch, was reelected.
Seats in the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1938. Democrats retained control of the chamber.
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1938. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.
| Election Name: | 1938 Trustees of University of Illinois election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1940 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Next Year: | 1940 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1938 |
An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois. All three Democratic nominees won.[1]
Incumbent first-term Democrats Orville M. Karraker and Karl A. Meyer were reelected.[1] New Democratic member Frank A. Jensen was also elected.[1]
Incumbent Democrat was Nellie V. Freeman was not renominated.
On June 27, 1938, one district of the Supreme Court of Illinois had a special election.[1]
A special election was held for the seat of the court's 3rd district, after the death in office of Lott R. Herrick.[1] Republican Walter T. Gunn won the election.[1]
One ballot measure was put before voters in 1938, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment[1] [2]
The Illinois Banking Amendment, a proposed legislatively referred constitutional amendment to Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8, of Article XI of the 1870 Illinois Constitution, failed to meet the threshold for approval.[1] [3] In order to be approved, legislatively referred constitutional amendments required approval equal to a majority of voters voting in the entire general election.[3] [4]
If approved, this amendment would have made modifications to state banking rules that would have reduced the liability of bank stockholders.[3]
| Illinois Banking Amendment | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option | Votes | % of all ballots cast | ||||
| text align=center | Yes | text align=center | 979,892 | text align=center | 29.92 | |
| text align=center | No | text align=center | 352,428 | text align=center | 10.76 | |
| text align=center | Total votes | text align=center | 1,332,320 | text align=center | 40.68 |
One advisory referendum ("question of public policy") was put before voters.[1] [2]
An advisory question was voted on, which asked voters whether the states United States congressmen should vote against a national military draft. Those who voted overwhelmingly instructed congressmen to vote against a national military draft.[5]
Local elections were held.