1913 United States Senate elections in Illinois

Two United States Senate elections (a regular and a special election) were held in Illinois on March 26, 1913. The two elections were interconnected through a compromise made to elect a Democrat in the regular election and a Republican in the special election.

1913 United States Senate elections in Illinois

March 26, 1913

These were the last elections to U.S. Senate from Illinois to take place by vote of state legislature, as the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution would make all subsequent U.S. Senate elections conducted by a popular vote.

The elections saw the election of Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis to a full term in the state's class 2 United States Senate seat in a regular election, and Republican Lawrence Y. Sherman to the state's class 3 United States Senate seat in a special election.

Background and procedure

At the time, since the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was yet to take effect, U.S. Senate seats were filled by votes of state legislatures.

In the November 1912 state elections, the Republicans lost control of the Illinois General Assembly due to the Republican / Progressive split. But while the Democrats held a plurality of the Illinois General Assembly, they did not have a majority. The General Assembly took up the matter of electing the senators on February 1. The General Assembly therefore failed to elect until after the new congress began.

On March 26, in a compromise arranged by governor Dunne, the General Assembly elected Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis to fill the full-term seat and Republican Lawrence Y. Sherman to fill the two remaining years of a vacancy that had just recently opened.

Party primaries

Non-binding preference primaries were held April 9, 1912, which informed the legislature of the preferred candidate of voters in each party's primaries. They coincided with binding primaries held for other offices.[1]

While the party was eligible to hold a primary, no Socialist primary was held for the office of U.S. Senator.[1]

Candidate

• James H. Lewis, former at-large U.S. congressman from Washington

Result

Democratic primary[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	James H. Lewis	228,872	100
Total votes			228,872	100

Candidates

• Shelby Moore Cullom, former governor of Illinois
• Lawrence Yates Sherman, former lieutenant governor of Illinois and former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
• Hugh S. Magill, Illinois state senator[2]

Result

Republican primary[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lawrence Y. Sherman	178,063	46.16
	Republican	Shelby Moore Cullom	129,375	33.54
	Republican	Hugh S. Magill	78,344	20.31
Total votes			385,782	100

Candidate

• Alonzo E. Wilson

Result

Prohibiton primary[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Prohibition	Alonzo E. Wilson	3,786	100
Total votes			3,786	100

Regular election (class 2 seat)

Illinois general election (class 2)

March 26, 1913

Nominee J. Hamilton Lewis Frank H. Funk Party Democratic Progressive Members' vote 164 22 Percentage 80.39% 10.78%   Nominee Lawrence Y. Sherman[3] Party Republican Members' vote 9 Percentage 4.41%

U.S. senator before election Shelby Moore Cullom Republican Elected U.S. senator J. Hamilton Lewis Democratic

On April 12, 1912, five-term Republican incumbent Shelby Moore Cullom lost renomination to Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Lawrence Y. Sherman in the Republican "advisory" primary, where the voters expressed their preference for senator but the decision was not binding on the General Assembly, which made the actual choice. Cullom had suffered politically over his support for the other Illinois senator, William Lorimer, who was embroiled in a scandal over alleged bribery in his 1909 election to the Senate.

After his defeat, Cullom withdrew his name from consideration by the General Assembly.

The Illinois General Assembly eventually elected the Democratic nominee, Congressman J. Hamilton Lewis March 26, 1913, who had also won the Democratic advisory primary, as the sole candidate on the ballot.

Illinois legislative vote, class 2 (March 26, 1913)[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	J. Hamilton Lewis	164	80.39%
	Progressive	Frank H. Funk	22	10.78%
	Republican	Lawrence Y. Sherman	9	4.41%
	Independent	Abstaining	5	2.45%
	Socialist	Bernard Berlyn	4	1.96%
	Democratic gain from Republican

Special election (class 3 seat)

Illinois special election (class 3)

March 26, 1913

Nominee Lawrence Y. Sherman[3] Charles Boeschenstein Party Republican Democratic Members' vote 143 25 Percentage 70.10% 12.26%   Nominee Frank H. Funk Party Progressive Members' vote 22 Percentage 10.78%

U.S. senator before election Vacant Elected U.S. senator Lawrence Y. Sherman Republican

Three months after the primary in which Sherman defeated Cullom, the U.S. Senate invalidated William Lorimer's 1909 election and declared the seat vacant.[6] The Illinois Attorney General, William H. Stead determined that the General Assembly had failed to properly elect Lorimer in 1909 and so the Governor could not appoint a replacement.[7] As a result, the General Assembly had a second Senate seat to fill.

Illinois special legislative vote, class 3 (March 26, 1913)[8][5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lawrence Y. Sherman	143	70.10%
	Democratic	Charles Boeschenstein	25	12.26%
	Progressive	Frank H. Funk	22	10.78%
	Independent	Abstaining	9	4.41%
	Socialist	McDonald	4	1.96%
	Democratic	John Fitzpatrick	1	0.49%
	Republican gain from Vacant

See also

• 1912 and 1913 United States Senate elections

References

1. Illinois blue book, 1913-1914. Illinois Secretary of State. p. 460. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
2. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Hugh S. Magill". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
3. Taylor, Julius F. "The Broad Ax". Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
4. "IL US Senate". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
5. United States Senators Chosen, 1913, p. 458.
6. "Lorimer ousted by decisive vote". The New York Times. July 14, 1912.
7. "Lorimer never elected". The New York Times. July 18, 1912.
8. "IL US Senate Special". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 27, 2020.

Bibliography

• "United States Senators Chosen, 1912". The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1913. New York: The Tribune Association. 1913. p. 457 – via Hathi Trust Digital Library.