1980 United States Senate election in Illinois

1980 United States Senate election in Illinois
Turnout	73.51%
	County results ; Dixon: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%; O'Neal: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
U.S. senator before election; Adlai Stevenson III; Democratic	Elected U.S. Senator ; Alan J. Dixon; Democratic

The 1980 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III decided to retire. Democrat Alan J. Dixon won the open seat.

Background

The primaries and general elections coincided with those for other federal offices (President and House), as well as those for state offices.^[1]^[2]

Incumbent Democrat Adlai Stevenson III opted not to seek reelection to a third-term. This was the first open-race for this senate seat since 1938.

Turnout in the primary elections was 35.36%, with a total of 2,026,814 votes cast.^[1]^[3]

Turnout during the general election was 73.51%, with 4,579,933 votes cast.^[2]^[3]

Democratic primary

Alan J. Dixon overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary.

Candidates

Alan J. Dixon, Illinois Secretary of State
Anthony R. Martin-Trigona, candidate for U.S. Senator in 1978
Alex Seith, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator in 1978
Robert Ash "Bob" Wallace
Dakin Williams, prosecutor, candidate for U.S. Senator in 1972 and 1974, candidate for Illinois Governor in 1978^[4]^[5]

Campaign

Alex Seith, who had won the Democratic nomination for Senator two years earlier, almost winning the 1978 race in what would have been a major upset, laid hopes of capturing the nomination again.

Anthony R. Martin-Trigona, a political activist who had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for senate in 1978, again ran for the nomination.

Robert Ash "Bob" Wallace made use of his friendship with boxer Muhammad Ali, featuring him in campaign ads and having him make campaign appearances.^[6]^[7]

Dakin Williams was a prosecutor, and was the younger brother of famous playwright Tennessee Williams.^[4] He had been a candidate for the Democratic nomination of Illinois' other US Senate seat in 1972, and had unsuccessfully sought the nomination for this seat in 1974. He had also been a candidate for governor in 1978.^[5]

Results

Democratic primary^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alan J. Dixon	671,746	66.88
	Democratic	Alex Seith	190,339	18.95
	Democratic	Robert Ash "Bob" Wallace	64,037	6.38
	Democratic	Anthony R. Martin-Trigona	39,711	3.95
	Democratic	Dankin Williams	38,388	3.82
	Write-in	Others	153	0.00
Total votes			1,004,374	100

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David C. O'Neal	424,634	41.53
	Republican	William J. Scott	352,138	34.44
	Republican	Dick Carver	245,668	24.03
	Write-in	Others	141	0.00
Total votes			1,022,440	100

General election

General election^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alan J. Dixon	2,565,302	56.01%
	Republican	David C. O'Neal	1,946,296	42.50%
	Libertarian	Bruce Green	29,328	0.64%
	Independent	Sidney Lens	19,213	0.42%
	Communist	Charles F. Wilson	11,453	0.25%
	Workers World	Michael Soriano	5,626	0.12%
	Socialist Workers	Burton Lee Artz	2,715	0.06%
	Write-in	Others	96	0.00%
Total votes			4,579,933	100
	Democratic hold

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 18, 1980" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 24, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b ^c "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1980" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 24, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b "Tennessee Williams' brother dead at 89". The State Journal-Register. May 22, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Our Campaigns - Candidate - W. Dakin Williams". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
^ "WMBD's Full Interview with Muhammad Ali from 1980". CIProud.com. June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
^ Rose, Don (June 6, 2016). "My brief political adventure with Muhammad Ali". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

[PE-1] "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 18, 1980" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 24, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[GE-2] "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1980" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 24, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[GE88-3] "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 4, 1986" (PDF). www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 10, 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[sj-r-4] "Tennessee Williams' brother dead at 89". The State Journal-Register. May 22, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

[ourcampaigns1-5] "Our Campaigns - Candidate - W. Dakin Williams". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

[6] "WMBD's Full Interview with Muhammad Ali from 1980". CIProud.com. June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

[7] Rose, Don (June 6, 2016). "My brief political adventure with Muhammad Ali". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

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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

Campaign

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

General election

See also

References