| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois elections |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1938 Illinois elections |
| Previous Year: | 1938 |
| Next Election: | 1942 Illinois elections |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, 1940.[1]
Primaries were held April 9, 1940.[1]
While the Democratic ticket of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry A. Wallace won the state's electors in the presidential election, the election overall saw significant victories for the Republican Party. The Republican Party retained their control of the Illinois House, and flipped control of the Illinois Senate, as well as control of the executive offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor of Public Accounts, and Treasurer, all of which had previously been under Democratic Party control. Democrats retained their hold on the executive office of Secretary of State. Additionally, Republicans won all seats up for election on the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Republicans also won the state's special United States Senate election and flipped 6 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives.
In the primaries, 2,647,467 ballots were cast (1,503,706 Democratic and 1,143,761 Republican).[1]
In the general election, 4,262,196 ballots were cast.[1]
See main article: 1940 United States presidential election in Illinois.
See also: 1940 United States presidential election.
Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry A. Wallace.
See main article: 1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois.
See also: 1940 United States Senate elections.
Republican Charles W. Brooks unseated Democrat James M. Slattery, who had been appointed to the seat left vacant by the death in office of Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis.
See also: 1940 United States House of Representatives elections.
All 27 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1940.
Republicans flipped six Democratic-held seats, making the composition of Illinois' House delegation 16 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Nominee1: | Dwight H. Green |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,197,778 |
| Percentage1: | 52.93% |
| Nominee2: | Harry B. Hershey |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,940,833 |
| Percentage2: | 46.74% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Henry Horner (before primary) Democratic John Henry Stelle (before general election) Democratic |
| After Election: | Dwight H. Green |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
Before the primary, incumbent governor Henry Horner, a Democrat, opted not to seek a third term. In October, before the general election, his death in office made John Henry Stelle assume the governorship. However, Stelle had previously failed to win the Democratic nomination in the primary.
Republican Dwight H. Green won the election.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Nominee1: | Hugh W. Cross |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,073,679 |
| Percentage1: | 51.27% |
| Nominee2: | Louie E. Lewis |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,955,834 |
| Percentage2: | 48.36% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Before Election: | John Henry Stelle (before primary) Democratic Party Vacant (before general election) |
| After Election: | Hugh W. Cross |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
Incumbent lieutenant governor John Henry Stelle, a Democrat, did not seek reelection to a second term, instead opting to run for governor. Republican Hugh W. Cross was elected to succeed him.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Nominee1: | George F. Barrett |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,061,807 |
| Percentage1: | 51.12% |
| Nominee2: | Harold G. Ward |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,956,744 |
| Percentage2: | 48.51% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Attorney General | |
| Before Election: | John Edward Cassidy |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | George F. Barrett |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
Incumbent Attorney General John Edward Cassidy, a Democrat appointed in 1938 after fellow Democrat Otto Kerner Sr. resigned to accept a federal judgeship, did not seek reelection to a full term. Republican George F. Barrett was elected to succeed him.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois Secretary of State election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois Secretary of State election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois Secretary of State election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Image1: | EdwardHughes1922 (1).PNG |
| Nominee1: | Edward J. Hughes |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,095,698 |
| Percentage1: | 51.46% |
| Nominee2: | Justus L. Johnson |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,962,405 |
| Percentage2: | 48.19% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Secretary of State | |
| Before Election: | Edward J. Hughes |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Incumbent second-term Secretary of State Edward J. Hughes, a Democrat, was reelected.
Justus L. Johnson won the Republican primary, defeating businessman Richard Yates Rowe and Illinois state senator Arthur J. Bidwill.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Image1: | Arthur C. Lueder (A).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Arthur C. Lueder |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,027,571 |
| Percentage1: | 50.30% |
| Nominee2: | John C. Martin |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,988,366 |
| Percentage2: | 49.33% |
| Auditor of Public Accounts | |
| Before Election: | Edward J. Barrett |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Arthur C. Lueder |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
Incumbent third-term Auditor of Public Accounts Edward J. Barrett, lost renomination in the Democratic primary. Republican Arthur C. Lueder was elected to succeed him.
Incumbent Edward J. Barrett narrowly lost renomination to U.S. congressman and former Illinois state treasurer John C. Martin.
| Election Name: | 1940 Illinois State Treasurer election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1938 Illinois Treasurer election |
| Previous Year: | 1938 |
| Next Election: | 1942 Illinois Treasurer election |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Nominee1: | Warren Wright |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,030,513 |
| Percentage1: | 50.40% |
| Nominee2: | Homer Mat Adams |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,983,667 |
| Percentage2: | 49.24% |
| Treasurer | |
| Before Election: | Louie E. Lewis |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Warren Wright |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
Incumbent first-term Treasurer Louie E. Lewis, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, instead running for lieutenant governor. Republican Warren Wright was elected to succeed him in office.
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1940. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1940. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
| Election Name: | 1940 University of Illinois trustees elections |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1938 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Previous Year: | 1938 |
| Next Election: | 1942 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Races won |
| Seats For Election: | 4 out of 9 seats on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees |
| Majority Seats: | 5 |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 9 |
| Seats After1: | 5 |
| Seat Change1: | 4 |
| Popular Vote1: | 7,717,234 |
| Percentage1: | 49.27% |
| Swing1: | 5.99% |
| 1Data1: | 4 |
| 2Data1: | 0 |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats Before2: | 0 |
| Seats Needed2: | 5 |
| Seats After2: | 4 |
| Seat Change2: | 4 |
| Popular Vote2: | 7,900,386½ |
| Percentage2: | 50.44% |
| Swing2: | 2.59% |
| 1Data2: | 0 |
| 2Data2: | 4[4] [5] [6] |
An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois to six year terms, and a special election was held to fill the partial term of a seat that was vacated.[1] Republicans swept all four seats in the two elections. The election was for six-year terms.
| Election Name: | 1940 University of Illinois trustees (regular election) |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1938 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Previous Year: | 1938 |
| Next Election: | 1942 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Races won |
| Seats For Election: | 3 out of 9 seats on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 5,957,269 |
| Percentage1: | 50.44% |
| Swing1: | 2.59% |
| 1Data1: | 0 |
| 2Data1: | 3 |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 5,806,332 |
| Percentage2: | 49.16% |
| Swing2: | 2.61% |
| 1Data2: | 3 |
| 2Data2: | 0 |
An election was held for three six-year terms to the board.
Former two-term Republican member Helen M. H. Grigsby was returned to the board.[1] New Republican members John R. Fornof and Park Livingston were elected to the board.[1]
Incumbent first-term Democrat Marie Coyle Plumb lost reelection.[1]
First-term Democrats Oscar G. Mayer Sr. and Harold Pogue did not seek reelection.[1]
Marie Coyle Plumb was listed on the ballot as "Mrs. Glenn E. Plumb", and Beulah Campbell was listed as "Belulah (Mrs. Bruce A.) Campbell".[1]
| Election Name: | 1940 University of Illinois trustee special election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Flag Year: | 1915 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1942 University of Illinois trustees election |
| Next Year: | 1942 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Nominee1: | Chester R. Davis |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,943,117 |
| Percentage1: | 50.42% |
| Nominee2: | Kenney E. Williamson |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,910,902 |
| Percentage2: | 49.58% |
| Trustee | |
| Before Election: | Kenney E. Williamson |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Chester R. Davis |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
A special election was held to fill the term left vacant by the death in office of Democrat Louis Conrad Moschel in 1940.[1] Republican Chester R. Davis was elected, defeating incumbent Kenny E. Williamson (who had been appointed to hold the seat after the death of Moschel).[1]
On June 3, 1940, an election was held for judges of the Superior Court of Cook County.
On November 5, 1940, an election was held to fill a vacancy on the Eighth Judicial Circuit.
A legislatively referred state statute was brought before the voters.
Voters approved the Illinois Banking Law Amendment, a legislatively referred state statute which made it easier to establish new banks in small municipalities that lack banks.[1] [7] It amended sections 11 and 12 of the general banking law.[1]
Local elections were held.
5,806,332½ in regular election and 1,910,902 in special election
5,957,269½ in regular election and 1,943,117 in special election
49.16% of regular election and 49.58% of special election
50.44% of regular election and 50.42% of special election