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United States · Election results history · 1978 governors · Illinois
Election 1978 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1978 Illinois governor election

James R. Thompson (Republican) beat Michael Bakalis (Democrat) in Illinois in 1978, 59.0% to 40.1%, a margin of 18.9 points and 596,550 votes.

The Republican hold continued from 1976, when James R. Thompson also won.

Republicans led in 92 of the 102 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 10. The largest, Cook, cast 1,499,832 votes and went to the Republican by 9.1 points. The closest was Jersey, where 13 votes separated the two parties.

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Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Governor

CandidatePartyVotesShare
James R. Thompson won Republican 1,859,684 59.0%
Michael Bakalis Democratic 1,263,134 40.1%
All other candidates 27,277 0.9%
Total3,150,095

Every county

CountyDemocratRepublicanOthersTotalMargin
Cook 674,316 45.0% 810,443 54.0% 15,073 1,499,832 R+9.1
Du Page 34,934 21.1% 129,125 78.0% 1,467 165,526 R+56.9
Lake 22,955 24.1% 71,286 74.7% 1,200 95,441 R+50.6
Will 24,789 33.0% 49,811 66.4% 448 75,048 R+33.3
Kane 16,559 25.9% 46,735 73.2% 544 63,838 R+47.3
Sangamon 24,129 37.9% 39,207 61.5% 390 63,726 R+23.7
Winnebago 25,317 40.9% 35,939 58.0% 716 61,972 R+17.1
St. Clair 31,250 51.0% 29,255 47.8% 756 61,261 D+3.3
Madison 28,994 51.8% 26,609 47.6% 333 55,936 D+4.3
Peoria 18,370 36.7% 31,287 62.4% 456 50,113 R+25.8
Rock Island 17,439 42.0% 23,618 56.9% 449 41,506 R+14.9
Champaign 9,470 25.5% 27,244 73.3% 458 37,172 R+47.8
McHenry 7,362 21.0% 27,477 78.3% 252 35,091 R+57.3
Macon 12,361 37.6% 20,405 62.0% 130 32,896 R+24.5
Tazewell 12,909 39.3% 19,640 59.8% 301 32,850 R+20.5
La Salle 11,843 36.6% 20,274 62.6% 272 32,389 R+26.0
McLean 9,805 31.7% 20,935 67.8% 159 30,899 R+36.0
Kankakee 9,530 32.3% 19,684 66.8% 246 29,460 R+34.5
Vermilion 11,372 41.6% 15,713 57.4% 269 27,354 R+15.9
Adams 8,257 38.8% 12,898 60.5% 147 21,302 R+21.8
De Kalb 4,229 23.6% 13,436 75.1% 233 17,898 R+51.4
Knox 6,497 38.4% 10,246 60.5% 182 16,925 R+22.2
Williamson 8,310 49.1% 8,512 50.3% 94 16,916 R+1.2
Macoupin 8,724 53.8% 7,421 45.8% 69 16,214 D+8.0
Whiteside 5,477 37.2% 9,139 62.1% 89 14,705 R+24.9
Jackson 6,094 42.2% 8,147 56.5% 187 14,428 R+14.2
Henry 5,245 37.0% 8,830 62.3% 88 14,163 R+25.3
Coles 5,112 38.0% 8,214 61.1% 120 13,446 R+23.1
Morgan 5,181 39.3% 7,927 60.1% 79 13,187 R+20.8
Franklin 7,576 57.5% 5,584 42.4% 19 13,179 D+15.1
Randolph 6,463 50.1% 6,423 49.8% 12 12,898 D+0.3
Fulton 5,891 46.0% 6,816 53.3% 90 12,797 R+7.2
Bureau 4,372 35.0% 8,041 64.4% 78 12,491 R+29.4
Marion 5,787 46.4% 6,610 53.0% 82 12,479 R+6.6
Iroquois 3,073 25.3% 9,061 74.5% 22 12,156 R+49.3
Montgomery 5,605 46.5% 6,434 53.3% 27 12,066 R+6.9
Stephenson 3,438 29.8% 8,026 69.6% 62 11,526 R+39.8
Livingston 2,849 26.3% 7,919 73.2% 51 10,819 R+46.9
Ogle 3,211 29.7% 7,415 68.6% 181 10,807 R+38.9
Christian 5,085 47.3% 5,644 52.5% 31 10,760 R+5.2
Grundy 3,116 30.0% 7,236 69.6% 50 10,402 R+39.6
Logan 3,508 34.0% 6,792 65.9% 13 10,313 R+31.8
Jefferson 4,346 42.6% 5,800 56.9% 45 10,191 R+14.3
Clinton 4,469 44.4% 5,524 54.9% 68 10,061 R+10.5
Lee 3,694 38.6% 5,789 60.6% 77 9,560 R+21.9
Effingham 3,755 39.9% 5,616 59.7% 36 9,407 R+19.8
Perry 4,437 48.9% 4,638 51.1% 7 9,082 R+2.2
Saline 4,863 53.5% 4,149 45.7% 70 9,082 D+7.9
Kendall 1,878 20.8% 7,141 79.0% 24 9,043 R+58.2
Woodford 2,892 32.1% 6,050 67.1% 74 9,016 R+35.0
Fayette 3,845 44.7% 4,740 55.1% 22 8,607 R+10.4
Crawford 2,937 36.1% 5,180 63.8% 8 8,125 R+27.6
Shelby 3,320 41.1% 4,726 58.5% 31 8,077 R+17.4
Edgar 2,921 36.6% 5,041 63.2% 10 7,972 R+26.6
McDonough 2,247 28.2% 5,641 70.9% 72 7,960 R+42.6
Wayne 2,843 38.1% 4,606 61.8% 10 7,459 R+23.6
Boone 2,274 32.0% 4,764 67.0% 69 7,107 R+35.0
Monroe 2,426 35.0% 4,489 64.7% 25 6,940 R+29.7
White 3,367 49.0% 3,486 50.7% 24 6,877 R+1.7
Jersey 3,343 49.8% 3,330 49.6% 35 6,708 D+0.2
Pike 2,996 45.2% 3,587 54.2% 38 6,621 R+8.9
Mercer 2,600 39.3% 3,996 60.4% 19 6,615 R+21.1
Piatt 2,002 31.2% 4,394 68.5% 15 6,411 R+37.3
Union 3,181 50.0% 3,151 49.5% 28 6,360 D+0.5
Hancock 2,122 33.9% 4,127 65.9% 14 6,263 R+32.0
Douglas 2,010 32.6% 4,154 67.3% 8 6,172 R+34.7
Jo Daviess 2,083 33.9% 3,995 65.1% 59 6,137 R+31.2
Clark 2,198 36.4% 3,830 63.4% 13 6,041 R+27.0
Bond 2,321 40.0% 3,483 60.0% 1 5,805 R+20.0
Massac 2,714 48.0% 2,929 51.8% 6 5,649 R+3.8
Richland 2,067 36.8% 3,545 63.1% 9 5,621 R+26.3
Lawrence 2,027 36.2% 3,563 63.6% 8 5,598 R+27.4
Washington 1,926 34.6% 3,628 65.3% 6 5,560 R+30.6
Clay 2,008 37.1% 3,397 62.8% 7 5,412 R+25.7
Greene 2,435 45.7% 2,861 53.7% 27 5,323 R+8.0
Warren 1,525 29.0% 3,671 69.9% 59 5,255 R+40.8
Carroll 1,450 28.5% 3,611 71.0% 22 5,083 R+42.5
Cass 2,336 46.2% 2,718 53.7% 6 5,060 R+7.5
Ford 1,198 23.8% 3,824 76.1% 6 5,028 R+52.2
De Witt 1,692 34.0% 3,256 65.5% 25 4,973 R+31.4
Mason 2,028 41.8% 2,794 57.6% 28 4,850 R+15.8
Alexander 2,415 51.3% 2,263 48.0% 34 4,712 D+3.2
Moultrie 1,912 40.6% 2,795 59.3% 5 4,712 R+18.7
Marshall 1,626 34.7% 3,030 64.7% 26 4,682 R+30.0
Jasper 2,038 45.5% 2,444 54.5% 2 4,484 R+9.1
Cumberland 1,807 40.9% 2,589 58.6% 25 4,421 R+17.7
Hamilton 1,938 43.9% 2,471 56.0% 4 4,413 R+12.1
Wabash 1,686 39.9% 2,511 59.4% 29 4,226 R+19.5
Menard 1,515 36.0% 2,679 63.7% 12 4,206 R+27.7
Johnson 1,614 41.6% 2,257 58.2% 5 3,876 R+16.6
Schuyler 1,615 42.0% 2,225 57.9% 3 3,843 R+15.9
Henderson 1,484 39.5% 2,253 60.0% 18 3,755 R+20.5
Pulaski 1,581 44.7% 1,944 55.0% 9 3,534 R+10.3
Edwards 1,136 35.0% 2,105 64.9% 3 3,244 R+29.9
Gallatin 1,636 55.0% 1,329 44.7% 7 2,972 D+10.3
Stark 826 29.9% 1,915 69.4% 20 2,761 R+39.4
Scott 1,075 39.4% 1,643 60.3% 7 2,725 R+20.8
Hardin 1,295 48.5% 1,372 51.4% 4 2,671 R+2.9
Putnam 1,083 41.2% 1,525 58.0% 20 2,628 R+16.8
Brown 1,148 47.3% 1,275 52.6% 2 2,425 R+5.2
Calhoun 1,184 49.7% 1,198 50.3% 2,382 R+0.6
Pope 940 44.2% 1,179 55.5% 6 2,125 R+11.2

Counties as they stood in 1978; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

Illinois governor elections we hold

YearWinnerMargin
2022 JB Pritzker (D) D+12.5
2018 JB Pritzker (D) D+15.7
2014 Bruce Rauner (R) R+3.9
2010 Pat Quinn (D) D+0.9
2006 Rod Blagojevich (D) D+10.5
2002 Rod R. Blagojevich (D) D+7.1
1998 George H. Ryan (R) R+3.6
1994 Jim Edgar (R) R+29.4
1990 Jim Edgar (R) R+2.6
1986 James R. Thompson (R) R+52.7
1982 James R. Thompson (R) R+0.1
1978 James R. Thompson (R) R+18.9
1976 James R. Thompson (R) R+30.1
1972 Daniel Walker (D) D+1.7
1968 Richard B. Ogilvie (R) R+2.8
1964 Otto Kerner (D) D+3.8
1960 Otto Kerner (D) D+11.2
1956 William G. Stratton (R) R+1.0
1952 William G. Stratton (R) R+5.2
1948 Adlai E. Stevenson (D) D+14.5
1944 Dwight H. Green (R) R+1.8
1940 Dwight H. Green (R) R+6.2
1936 Henry Horner (D) D+9.9
1932 Henry Horner (D) D+16.9
1928 Louis L. Emmerson (R) R+14.1
1924 Len Small (R) R+14.3
1920 Len Small (R) R+24.2
1916 Frank O. Lowden (R) R+10.6
1912 Edward F. Dunne (D) D+10.7
1908 Charles S. Deneen (R) R+2.0
1904 Charles S. Deneen (R) R+27.9
1900 Richard Yates (R) R+5.4
1896 John R. Tanner (R) R+10.4
1892 John P. Altgeld (D) D+2.6
1888 Joseph W. Fifer (R) R+1.7
1884 Richard J. Oglesby (R) R+2.2
1880 Shelby M. Cullom (R) R+5.9
1876 Shelby M. Cullom (R) R+1.2
1872 Richard J. Oglesby (R) R+54.4
1868 John McAuley Palmer (R) R+11.0