1954 United States Senate election in Illinois

1954 United States Senate election in Illinois
Turnout	63.69%
	County results; Douglas: 50–60% 60–70%; Meeks: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
U.S. senator before election; Paul Douglas; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; Paul Douglas; Democratic

The United States Senate election in Illinois of 1954 took place on November 2, 1954.^[1] Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas was reelected to a second term.

Background

The primary (held on April 13) and general election coincided with those for House and those for state elections.^[1]

Turnout in the primaries was 27.07%, with a total of 1,431,554 votes cast.^[1]^[2] Despite a crowded field for the Republican nomination, the primaries experienced what The New York Times reporter Richard J. H. Johnston referred to as, "one of the lightest primary votes of recent years," in Illinois.^[3]

Turnout during the general election was 63.69%, with 3,368,021 votes cast.^[1]^[4] This election saw fewer votes cast than were cast in either of the two coinciding races for statewide executive offices in Illinois.^[1]

Democratic primary

Incumbent Paul Douglas was renominated, running unopposed.

Candidates

•Paul Douglas, incumbent U.S. Senator

Results

Democratic primary results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul H. Douglas (incumbent)	587,084	100
	Write-in	Others	5	0.00
Total votes			587,089	100

Republican primary

Joseph T. Meek won a crowded Republican primary.

Candidates

John B. Crane
Edgar M. Elbert, businessman and President of Lions Club International^[5]
Lawrence Daly, perennial candidate
Herbert F. Geisler, Chicago alderman^[6]
Edward A. Hayes, former Commander of The American Legion
Julius Klein, business executive, journalist, former spy and former United States Army general
Park Livingston, Trustee of University of Illinois and 1952 Illinois gubernatorial candidate
Joseph T. Meek, President of the Illinois Federation of Retail Associations^[3]
Deneen A. Watson
Austin L. Wyman, attorney^[7]

Results

Republican primary results^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joseph T. Meek	283,843	33.61
	Republican	Edward A. Hayes	181,490	21.49
	Republican	Austin L. Wyman	103,202	12.22
	Republican	Park Livingston	74,965	8.48
	Republican	John B. Crane	56,086	6.64
	Republican	Julius Klein	48,764	5.78
	Republican	Edgar M. Elbert	31,420	3.72
	Republican	Herbert F. Geisler	27,563	3.26
	Republican	Lar "America First" Daly	18,585	2.20
	Republican	Deenen A. Watson	18,496	2.19
	Write-in	Others	51	0.01
Total votes			844,465	100

General election

Results

United States Senate election in Illinois, 1966^[1]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Paul H. Douglas (incumbent)	1,804,338	53.57
	Republican	Joseph T. Meek	1,563,683	46.43
Total votes			3,368,021	100

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 2, 1954 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1953, 1954 SPECIAL ELECTION, 1953 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL, 13, 1954" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 7, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ ^a ^b Johnston, Richard J. H. (April 14, 1954). "G. O. P. PICKS MEEK IN ILLINOIS RACE; He Will Oppose Douglas for Senate -- Velde, Chiperfield Are Primary Victors". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "EDGAR M. ELBERT". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 26, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "Senatorial Candidates-4". Freeport Journal-Standard. March 22, 1954. p. 8. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "AUSTIN L. WYMAN JR". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 5, 2001. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1960" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2019.

[results-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 2, 1954 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1953, 1954 SPECIAL ELECTION, 1953 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL, 13, 1954" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 7, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 16, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}

[Johnston1-3] Johnston, Richard J. H. (April 14, 1954). "G. O. P. PICKS MEEK IN ILLINOIS RACE; He Will Oppose Douglas for Senate -- Velde, Chiperfield Are Primary Victors". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

[1982GE-4] "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1982" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 4, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}

[5] "EDGAR M. ELBERT". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 26, 1999. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

[6] "Senatorial Candidates-4". Freeport Journal-Standard. March 22, 1954. p. 8. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

[7] "AUSTIN L. WYMAN JR". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 5, 2001. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

[8] "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1960" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2019.

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v t e Elections in Illinois
By year	1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1969 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1998 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Presidential	1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 (Dem primary, Rep primary) 2012 2016 (Dem primary) 2020 (Dem primary) 2024 (Dem primary, Rep primary)
U.S. Senate	1885 1913 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022
U.S. House	2000 (1st) 2006 2008 2010 (17th) 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Special	2nd congressional, 1995 14th congressional, 2008 5th congressional, 2009 2nd congressional, 2013 18th congressional, 2015 Comptroller, 2016
Gubernatorial	1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Lieutenant gubernatorial	1818 1822 1826 1830 1834 1838 1842 1846 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968
Other state executive offices	Attorney General 2018 2022 Secretary of State 2022 Comptroller 2016
State Senate	2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State House	2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State judicial	1936 1938 1940 1942 1948 1960 1962 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Ballot measures and referendums	State capitol referendum (1834) Cutback Amendment (1980) Crime Victim Rights Amendment (1992) Governor Recall Amendment (2010) Public Pension Amendment (2012) Marsy's Law (2014) Right to Vote Amendment (2014) Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment (2016) Fair Tax (2020) Right to Collective Bargaining Amendment (2022)
Chicago mayoral	1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 (Mar) 1844 (Apr) 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1865 1867 1869 1871 1873 1876 (Apr) 1876 (Jul) 1877 1879 1881 1883 1885 1887 1889 1891 1893 (Apr) 1893 (Dec) 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1977 1979 1983 1987 1989 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Chicago City Council	1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Other municipal	1924 Cicero
Cook County	1946 1980 (State's Attorney) 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022

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Background

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

General election

Results

See also

References