1998 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1998 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Edgar did not run for a third term in office. Republican nominee George Ryan, the Illinois Secretary of State, narrowly won the election against Democratic Congressman Glenn Poshard.
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Turnout | 49.72% 1.05 pp | |||||||||||||||||||
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Ryan: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Poshard: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Illinois |
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With this election Corinne Wood became the first female lieutenant governor of the state.
As of 2022 this was the last Governor election in which St. Clair county did not vote for the winning candidate.
Election information
The primaries and general elections coincided with those for federal elections (Senate and House), as well as those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1998 Illinois elections.
Turnout
For the primaries, turnout for the gubernatorial primaries was 24.58%, with 1,658,296 votes cast and turnout for the lieutenant gubernatorial primaries was 19.76% with 1,333,446 votes cast.[1][2] For the general election, turnout was 49.72%, with 3,358,705 votes cast.[1][2] Due to Poshard's more conservative social positions he carried the reliably Republican downstate, while Ryan's liberal social policies led him to carry the more Democratic Chicago area.
Democratic primaries
Candidates
- Larry Burgess
- Jim Burns (1945–2020), former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois (1993–1997)
- Roland Burris (born 1937), former Attorney General of Illinois (1991-1995) and candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1994.
- Maurice Horton
- Glenn Poshard (born 1945), U.S. Representative (1989-1999)
- John Schmidt (born 1943), United States Associate Attorney General (1994-1997)
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Glenn Poshard | 357,342 | 37.60 | |
Democratic | Roland Burris | 290,393 | 30.56 | |
Democratic | John R. Schmidt | 236,309 | 24.87 | |
Democratic | Jim Burns | 55,233 | 5.81 | |
Democratic | Larry Burgess | 6,075 | 0.64 | |
Democratic | Maurice Horton | 4,955 | 0.52 | |
Total votes | 950,307 | 100.00 |
Candidates
- Mary Lou Kearns, Kane County Coroner[4]
- Pat Quinn, former Treasurer of Illinois
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Mary Lou Kearns | 391,373 | 50.09 | |
Democratic | Pat Quinn | 389,905 | 49.91 | |
Total votes | 781,278 | 100 |
Republican primaries
Candidates
- George Ryan, Secretary of State of Illinois
- Chad Koppie, perennial candidate and conservative activist
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Ryan | 608,940 | 86.08 | |
Republican | Chad Koppie | 98,466 | 13.92 | |
Total votes | 707,406 | 100.00 |
Candidates
- Corinne Wood, member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Corrine G. Wood | 551,580 | 100 | |
Total votes | 551,580 | 100 |
Reform primary
Candidates
- Lawrence Redmond
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reform | Lawrence Redmond | 583 | 100.00 | |
Total votes | 583 | 100.00 |
Candidates
- Phyllis Nirchi
General election
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Ryan / Corinne Wood | 1,714,094 | 51.03% | -12.85% | |
Democratic | Glenn Poshard / Mary Lou Kearns | 1,594,191 | 47.46% | +13.02% | |
Reform | Lawrence Redmond / Phyllis Nirchi | 50,372 | 1.50% | ||
Write-ins | 48 | 0.00% | |||
Majority | 119,903 | 3.57% | -25.87% | ||
Turnout | 3,358,705 | 49.72% | |||
Republican hold | Swing | ||||
See also
References
- "Voter Turnout". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- "Election Results". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- "Ballots Cast". Elections.illinois.gov. March 17, 1998. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- "KANE CORONER TO JOIN JESSE WHITE'S STAFF". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 13, 1999. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- "Ballots Cast". Elections.illinois.gov. November 3, 1998. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2015.