United States · Election results history · 1986 governors · Illinois

Election 1986 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.

1986 Illinois governor election

James R. Thompson (Republican) beat Adlai Stevenson III (independent) in Illinois in 1986, 52.7% to 40.0%, a margin of 12.7 points and 399,223 votes.

The Republican hold continued from 1982, when James R. Thompson also won.

Republicans led in 81 of the 102 counties as they stood then and other candidates in 21. The largest, Cook, cast 1,389,331 votes and went to the other candidates by 9.5 points. The closest was Hamilton, where 11 votes separated the top two.

United States

Results

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If only voted How this works

If the polls miss like

Or set the national mood Turnout

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

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
James R. Thompson won	Republican	1,655,849	52.7%
Adlai Stevenson III	Solidarity	1,256,626	40.0%
All other candidates		231,503	7.4%
Total		3,143,978

Every county

County	Republican	Others	Total	Margin
Cook	628,530 45.2%	760,801	1,389,331	Others
Du Page	136,238 73.1%	50,081	186,319	R+73.1
Lake	65,574 65.1%	35,099	100,673	R+65.1
Will	47,140 59.8%	31,738	78,878	R+59.8
Sangamon	43,558 59.4%	29,808	73,366	R+59.4
Kane	44,140 67.1%	21,621	65,761	R+67.1
Winnebago	37,805 59.5%	25,689	63,494	R+59.5
Madison	31,377 52.0%	28,933	60,310	R+52.0
St. Clair	28,938 48.6%	30,589	59,527	Others
Peoria	23,309 48.8%	24,466	47,775	Others
Rock Island	18,023 40.5%	26,475	44,498	Others
McHenry	30,831 73.0%	11,375	42,206	R+73.0
Champaign	23,152 59.6%	15,673	38,825	R+59.6
Macon	19,788 54.3%	16,675	36,463	R+54.3
La Salle	20,200 59.2%	13,909	34,109	R+59.2
Tazewell	15,054 47.2%	16,851	31,905	Others
McLean	19,698 64.7%	10,747	30,445	R+64.7
Vermilion	14,133 52.2%	12,951	27,084	R+52.2
Kankakee	14,963 58.1%	10,786	25,749	R+58.1
Adams	15,044 65.9%	7,777	22,821	R+65.9
Williamson	10,467 49.8%	10,539	21,006	Others
De Kalb	13,197 66.3%	6,694	19,891	R+66.3
Knox	9,067 48.0%	9,814	18,881	Others
Macoupin	8,445 47.9%	9,199	17,644	Others
Henry	8,344 48.5%	8,873	17,217	Others
Whiteside	9,024 53.5%	7,839	16,863	R+53.5
Franklin	6,740 40.3%	9,970	16,710	Others
Jackson	8,550 54.5%	7,138	15,688	R+54.5
Stephenson	8,662 58.5%	6,138	14,800	R+58.5
Coles	8,474 57.3%	6,318	14,792	R+57.3
Marion	7,639 54.2%	6,465	14,104	R+54.2
Bureau	7,490 56.9%	5,667	13,157	R+56.9
Christian	6,584 50.7%	6,407	12,991	R+50.7
Morgan	7,926 62.7%	4,724	12,650	R+62.7
Randolph	5,914 46.9%	6,695	12,609	Others
Fulton	5,299 42.7%	7,118	12,417	Others
Clinton	7,252 61.8%	4,490	11,742	R+61.8
Montgomery	6,026 53.0%	5,334	11,360	R+53.0
Jefferson	5,846 51.5%	5,504	11,350	R+51.5
Grundy	7,098 63.0%	4,167	11,265	R+63.0
Ogle	7,758 69.1%	3,473	11,231	R+69.1
Livingston	7,206 64.2%	4,019	11,225	R+64.2
Iroquois	7,367 67.1%	3,611	10,978	R+67.1
Logan	6,895 64.3%	3,822	10,717	R+64.3
Saline	4,612 43.3%	6,037	10,649	Others
Effingham	5,519 53.8%	4,745	10,264	R+53.8
Lee	6,316 62.2%	3,832	10,148	R+62.2
Kendall	7,198 72.2%	2,773	9,971	R+72.2
McDonough	5,628 56.9%	4,264	9,892	R+56.9
Woodford	5,502 56.6%	4,222	9,724	R+56.6
Perry	5,185 58.5%	3,677	8,862	R+58.5
Fayette	4,635 52.9%	4,125	8,760	R+52.9
Shelby	4,442 52.9%	3,956	8,398	R+52.9
Boone	5,807 69.4%	2,564	8,371	R+69.4
Edgar	4,785 58.0%	3,463	8,248	R+58.0
Union	3,973 52.4%	3,609	7,582	R+52.4
Jo Daviess	3,890 51.6%	3,653	7,543	R+51.6
Pike	4,339 57.6%	3,197	7,536	R+57.6
Monroe	5,228 69.4%	2,301	7,529	R+69.4
Wayne	3,836 51.5%	3,616	7,452	R+51.5
White	3,292 44.4%	4,123	7,415	Others
Hancock	4,441 61.1%	2,828	7,269	R+61.1
Crawford	4,312 59.7%	2,906	7,218	R+59.7
Jersey	3,598 50.7%	3,505	7,103	R+50.7
Douglas	3,921 57.7%	2,869	6,790	R+57.7
Mercer	3,253 48.7%	3,429	6,682	Others
Warren	3,829 57.6%	2,813	6,642	R+57.6
Clark	3,731 57.2%	2,795	6,526	R+57.2
Richland	3,598 55.6%	2,869	6,467	R+55.6
Lawrence	3,099 52.4%	2,818	5,917	R+52.4
Massac	3,004 51.5%	2,824	5,828	R+51.5
Washington	3,805 65.4%	2,017	5,822	R+65.4
Carroll	3,506 61.3%	2,213	5,719	R+61.3
Bond	3,407 60.2%	2,255	5,662	R+60.2
Mason	2,566 46.4%	2,960	5,526	Others
Greene	2,717 50.5%	2,658	5,375	R+50.5
Cass	2,716 50.9%	2,620	5,336	R+50.9
Piatt	3,067 58.1%	2,212	5,279	R+58.1
Clay	2,736 52.2%	2,507	5,243	R+52.2
Marshall	2,322 48.2%	2,498	4,820	Others
Ford	2,995 62.8%	1,776	4,771	R+62.8
Menard	2,929 61.9%	1,806	4,735	R+61.9
Jasper	2,508 53.2%	2,208	4,716	R+53.2
De Witt	2,726 60.0%	1,816	4,542	R+60.0
Wabash	2,668 58.8%	1,872	4,540	R+58.8
Moultrie	2,435 54.8%	2,009	4,444	R+54.8
Cumberland	2,401 54.7%	1,985	4,386	R+54.7
Hamilton	2,165 50.1%	2,154	4,319	R+50.1
Johnson	2,455 57.8%	1,795	4,250	R+57.8
Alexander	1,726 41.0%	2,482	4,208	Others
Schuyler	2,157 57.5%	1,593	3,750	R+57.5
Gallatin	1,218 33.7%	2,401	3,619	Others
Henderson	1,763 52.1%	1,623	3,386	R+52.1
Edwards	1,818 56.5%	1,401	3,219	R+56.5
Pulaski	1,511 50.8%	1,461	2,972	R+50.8
Calhoun	1,484 52.7%	1,333	2,817	R+52.7
Putnam	1,446 52.5%	1,307	2,753	R+52.5
Hardin	1,276 48.9%	1,336	2,612	Others
Scott	1,615 62.5%	970	2,585	R+62.5
Brown	1,674 67.4%	811	2,485	R+67.4
Stark	1,075 46.3%	1,247	2,322	Others
Pope	1,224 56.9%	928	2,152	R+56.9

Counties as they stood in 1986; 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

Year	Winner	Margin
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

1986 Illinois governor election

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