1920 Illinois gubernatorial election

1920 Illinois gubernatorial election

← 1916 November 2, 1920 1924 →

Nominee Len Small James Hamilton Lewis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,243,148 731,541 Percentage 58.87% 34.64%

County results Small:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Lewis:      40-50%      50-60%

Governor before election Frank Orren Lowden Republican Elected Governor Len Small Republican

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v t

The 1920 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920.

Incumbent Republican Governor Frank Orren Lowden declined to stand for re-election. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. President at the 1920 Republican National Convention.

Republican nominee Len Small defeated Democratic nominee James Hamilton Lewis with 58.78% of the vote.

Primary elections[]

Primary elections were held on September 15, 1920.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• James Hamilton Lewis, former U.S. Senator
• Barratt O'Hara, former Lieutenant Governor

Results[]

Democratic primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis	153,717	85.14
	Democratic	Barratt O'Hara	26,827	14.86
Total votes			180,544	100.00

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

• Oscar E. Carlstrom, Mercer County state's attorney
• John G. Oglesby, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
• Len Small, former State Treasurer
• Edward N. Woodruff, mayor of Peoria

Results[]

Republican primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Len Small	377,005	46.49
	Republican	John G. Oglesby	369,103	45.52
	Republican	Edward N. Woodruff	34,506	4.26
	Republican	Oscar E. Carlstrom	30,836	3.74
Total votes			811,450	100.00

Socialist primary[]

Candidates[]

• Andrew Lafin

Results[]

Socialist primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Socialist	Andrew Lafin	1,859	100.00
Total votes			1,859	100.00

General election[]

Candidates[]

Major candidates[]

• Len Small, Republican
• James Hamilton Lewis, Democratic

Minor candidates[]

• Harrison Parker, Co-operative, former president of the Chicago-American Newspaper Company^[2]
• John H. Walker, Farmer-Labor, national Chairman of the Farmer-Labor Party^[3]
• John Maynard Harlan, Harding-Coolidge Republican, Independent nominee for Mayor of Chicago in 1897 and Republican nominee for Mayor of Chicago in 1905
• Parke Longworth, Liberal
• James H. Woertendyke, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for U.S. House in 1904 from Illinois's 13th congressional district
• Lewis D. Spaulding, Single Tax
• Andrew Lafin, Socialist, Socialist nominee for U.S. House in 1916 from Illinois's 9th congressional district
• John M. Francis, Socialist Labor, nominee for Governor in 1916

Results[]

1920 Illinois gubernatorial election^[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Len Small	1,243,148	58.87%
	Democratic	James Hamilton Lewis	731,551	34.64%
	Socialist	Andrew Lafin	58,998	2.79%
	Farmer–Labor	John H. Walker	56,480	2.67%
	Prohibition	James H. Woertendyke	9,876	0.47%
	Independent Republican	John Maynard Harlan	5,985	0.28%
	Socialist Labor	John M. Francis	3,020	0.14%
	Co-operative Party	Harrison Parker	1,260	0.06%
	Single Tax	Lewis D. Spaulding	930	0.04%
	Liberal	Parke Longworth	357	0.02%
		Scattering	5	0.00%
Majority			511,597	24.23%
Turnout			2,111,605	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing

See also[]

• 1920 Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial election

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
• Compiled by Louis L. Emmerson, Secretary of State (1920). Official vote of the State of Illinois cast at the General Election, Nov. 2, 1920, &c., &c. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers.