| Election Name: | 1972 Illinois elections |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1970 Illinois elections |
| Previous Year: | 1970 |
| Next Election: | 1974 Illinois elections |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Turnout: | 78.52% |
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1972.[1]
Primaries were held on March 21, 1972.[1]
Turnout in the primary election was 39.90%, with a total of 2,228,605 ballots cast. 1,563,193 Democratic and 665,412 Republican primary ballots were cast.[1]
Turnout during the general election was 78.52%, with 4,880,213 ballots cast.[1]
See main article: 1972 United States presidential election in Illinois.
See also: 1972 United States presidential election.
Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew.
See main article: 1972 United States Senate election in Illinois.
See also: 1972 United States Senate elections. Incumbent Charles H. Percy, a Republican, won reelection.
See also: 1972 United States House of Representatives elections.
All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1972. Seats had seen redistricting due to the results of the 1970 United States Census. Illinois did not lose any congressional seats during reapportionment., this is the last time that Illinois has not lost any congressional districts during a post-census reapportionment.
Before the election, both the Democratic and Republican parties held 12 seats from Illinois. In 1972, Republicans won 14 seats, while Democrats won 10 seats.
See main article: 1972 Illinois gubernatorial election.
| Election Name: | 1972 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1968 (Gov) 1968 (Lt. Gov) |
| Next Election: | 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Nominee1: | Dan Walker |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Running Mate1: | Neil Hartigan |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,371,303 |
| Percentage1: | 50.7% |
| Nominee2: | Richard B. Ogilvie |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Running Mate2: | James D. Nowlan |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,293,809 |
| Percentage2: | 49.0% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Richard B. Ogilvie |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Dan Walker |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 75.28% |
Incumbent Republican Richard B. Ogilvie lost to Democrat Dan Walker.
Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon did not seek reelection to a second term, instead opting to (ultimately unsuccessfully) seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Democrat Neil Hartigan was elected to succeed him.
This was the first gubernatorial elections in which gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates were elected on a ticket in the general election, per the 1970 Constitution of Illinois.
| Election Name: | 1972 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1968 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Previous Year: | 1968 |
| Next Election: | 1976 Illinois Attorney General election |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Image1: | William J. Scott, circa 1976 (3x4).jpg |
| Nominee1: | William J. Scott |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,898,198 |
| Percentage1: | 63.99% |
| Nominee2: | Thomas G. Lyons |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,613,103 |
| Percentage2: | 35.62% |
| Map Size: | 150px |
| Attorney General | |
| Before Election: | William J. Scott |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | William J. Scott |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 72.87% |
Incumbent Attorney General William J. Scott, a Republican, was elected to a second term.
Illinois State Senator Thomas G. Lyons won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Incumbent William J. Scott won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
| Election Name: | 1972 Illinois Secretary of State election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1968 Illinois elections#Secretary of State |
| Previous Year: | 1968 |
| Next Election: | 1976 Illinois elections#Secretary of State |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Image1: | Michael J. Howlett (Illinois Blue Book Portrait 1971-1972) (cropped).png |
| Nominee1: | Michael Howlett |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,360,327 |
| Percentage1: | 51.69% |
| Nominee2: | Edmund J. Kucharski |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,187,554 |
| Percentage2: | 47.90% |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Secretary of State | |
| Before Election: | John W. Lewis Jr. |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Michael Howlett |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 73.47% |
Incumbent Secretary of State John W. Lewis Jr., a Republican, had been appointed in 1970. He did not seek reelection. Democrat Michael Howlett was elected to succeed him in office.
Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts Michael J. Howlett won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
Edmund J. Kucharski won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
| Election Name: | 1972 Illinois State Comptroller election |
| Country: | Illinois |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1968 Illinois elections#Auditor of Public Accounts |
| Previous Year: | 1968 (Auditor of Public Accounts) |
| Next Election: | 1976 Illinois elections#Comptroller |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Image1: | George W. Lindberg circa 1976 (3x4).jpg |
| Nominee1: | George W. Lindberg |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,217,440 |
| Percentage1: | 51.15% |
| Nominee2: | Dean Barringer |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,094,798 |
| Percentage2: | 48.33% |
| Auditor of Public Accounts | |
| Posttitle: | State Comptroller |
| Before Election: | Michael Howlett |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | George W. Lindberg |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Turnout: | 69.74% |
Comptroller was a newly formed office, created by the 1970 Constitution of Illinois to replace the office of Auditor of Public Accounts, of which the outgoing incumbent was Democrat Michael Howlett, who instead opted to run for Secretary of State. Republican George W. Lindberg was elected the inaugural Illinois Comptroller.
Dean Barringer won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.
George W. Lindberg won the Republican primary, running unopposed.
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1972. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1972. Republicans retained control of the chamber.
| Election Name: | 1972 Trustees of University of Illinois election |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1970 Illinois elections#Trustees of University of Illinois |
| Previous Year: | 1970 |
| Next Election: | 1974 Illinois elections#Trustees of University of Illinois |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.
The election saw the reelection of three-term former member Republican Park Livingston and first-term Republican incumbent Ralph Crane Hahn, as well as the election of new Republican member Jane S. Hayes Rader.[1]
Democratic incumbent Robert B. Pogue (elected in a special election two years earlier) lost reelection.[1]
Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1972.[1]
Local elections were held.