1988 Cook County, Illinois, elections

1988 Cook County, Illinois, elections
November 8, 1988
Turnout72.56%
Elections in Illinois
Federal government
U.S. Presidential elections
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House elections
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Gubernatorial elections
Attorney General elections
Secretary of State elections
Comptroller elections
Senate elections
House of Representatives elections
Judicial elections
Ballot measures and referendums
Chicago
General elections
Mayoral elections
Aldermanic elections
Chicago Board of Education elections
Referendums
Cook County
County elections

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 8, 1988.[1]

Primaries were held March 15, 1988.[2]

Elections were held for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Recorder of Deeds, State's Attorney, one seat on the Cook County Board of Appeals, three seats on the Water Reclamation District Board, and judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Election information

1988 was a presidential election year in the United States. The primaries and general elections for Cook County races coincided with those for federal races (President and House) and those for state elections.

Political context

After Harold Washington's 1987 re-election as Chicago mayor and the end of the Council Wars gridlock on the Chicago City Council, Washington reconciled with the Cook County Regular Democratic Organization. Before his death in November 1987, he endorsed the regular organization's slate of candidates for Cook County office in 1988 (Richard M. Daley for re-election as state's attoreny; Aurelia Pucinski for clerk of courts; and Carol Moseley-Braun for recorder of deeds.[3]

Voter turnout

Primary election

Turnout in the primaries was 45.63%, with 1,236,750 ballots cast.[2][4]

Vote totals of primaries[2]
Primary Chicago vote totals Suburban Cook County vote totals Total Cook County vote totals
Democratic 742,281 244,812 987,093
Republican 83,625 161,042 244,667
Illinois Solidarity 127 77 204
Nonpartisan 733 6,053 6,786
Total 826,766 411,984 1,236,750

General election

The general election saw turnout of 72.56%, with 2,095,985 ballots cast.[5] Chicago saw 1,14,080 ballots cast, and suburban Cook County saw 981,905 ballots cast.[1]

Straight-ticket voting

Ballots had a straight-ticket voting option in 1988.[1]

Party Number of
straight-ticket
votes[1]
Democratic 442,219
Republican 276,923
Communist 102
Illinois Solidarity 508
John Davis Comm. Act. 0
Independent Tax Reform 974
Independent Progressive 0
Libertarian 1,531
Marie Goodlow Party 348

Clerk of the Circuit Court

1988 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election
November 8, 1988
Turnout68.25%[1][5]
 
Candidate Aurelia Pucinski Edward R. Vrdolyak
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,170,558 800,783
Percentage 59.38% 40.62%
Clerk before election

Morgan M. Finley
Democratic

Elected Clerk

Aurelia Pucinski
Democratic

In the 1988 Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election, incumbent clerk Morgan M. Finley, a Democrat, did not seek reelection. Democrat Aurelia Pucinski was elected to succeed him.

Primaries

Democratic

Candidates

The following candidates ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Clerk of the Circuit Court:

Candidate Experience Ref
Jane Byrne Former mayor of Chicago (1979–1983)
Thomas S. Fuller Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago since 1978 [6]
Janice Hart 1984 Democratic nominee for Illinois Secretary of State, supporter of the LaRouche movement [7]
Aurelia Pucinski Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago since 1984
Results
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Aurelia Marie Pucinski 407,958 51.96
Democratic Jane M. Byrne 296,298 37.74
Democratic Thomas S. Fuller 60,863 7.75
Democratic Janice A. Hart 20,061 2.55
Total votes 785,180 100

Republican

Candidate

The following candidate ran for the Republican Party nomination for Clerk of the Circuit Court:

Candidate Experience Ref
Edward Vrdolyak Former Chicago alderman (1971–1987), former president of the Chicago City Council (1977–1983), former Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party (1982–1987), 1987 Illinois Solidarity Party nominee for mayor of Chicago
Results
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Edward R. Vrdolyak 191,798 100
Total votes 191,798 100

Illinois Solidarity

No candidates ran in the Illinois Solidarity Party primary.[2]

General election

Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Aurelia Marie Pucinski 1,170,558 59.38
Republican Edward R. Vrdolyak 800,783 40.62
Total votes 1,971,341 100

Recorder of Deeds

1988 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election
November 8, 1988
Turnout65.06%[1][5]
 
Candidate Carol Moseley Braun Bernard L. Stone
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,020,805 795,540
Percentage 54.32% 42.33%
Recorder of Deeds before election

Harry Yourell
Democratic

Elected Recorder of Deeds

Carol Moseley Braun
Democratic

In the 1988 Cook County Recorder of Deeds election, incumbent first-term recorder of deeds Harry Yourell, a Democrat, did not seek reelection, instead running to be a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Democrat Carol Moseley Braun was elected to succeed him.

Mosely Braun's election made her the first African-American to hold the office of Cook County recorder of deeds.[8]

Primaries

Democratic

Candidates

The following candidate ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Cook County Recorder of Deeds Court:

Candidate Experience Ref
Sheila A. Jones Perennial candidate
Carol Moseley Braun Member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 1979
Results
Cook County Recorder of Deeds Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carol Moseley Braun 424,480 78.05
Democratic Sheila A. Jones 119,372 21.95
Total votes 543,852 100

Republican

Candidates

The following candidate ran for the Democratic Party nomination for Cook County Recorder of Deeds Court:

Candidate Experience Ref
Maureen Murphy Worth Township Clerk
Bernard Stone Chicago alderman since 1973
Results
Cook County Recorder of Deeds Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bernard L. Stone 114,985 59.31
Republican Maureen Murphy 78,895 40.69
Total votes 193,880 100

Illinois Solidarity

No candidates ran in the Illinois Solidarity Party primary.[2] The party ultimately nominated Edward M. Wojkowski.[1]

General election

Cook County Recorder of Deeds election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carol Moseley Braun 1,020,805 54.32
Republican Bernard L. Stone 795,540 42.33
Illinois Solidarity Edward M. Wojkowski 62,968 3.35
Total votes 1,879,313 100

State's Attorney

1988 Cook County State's Attorney election
November 8, 1988
Turnout67.68%[1][5]
 
Candidate Richard M. Daley Terrance W. Gainer
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,303,906 650,942
Percentage 66.70% 33.30%
State's Attorney before election

Richard M. Daley
Democratic

Elected State's Attorney

Richard M. Daley
Democratic

In the 1988 Cook County State's Attorney election, incumbent second-term state's attorney Richard M. Daley, a Democrat, was reelected.

Primaries

Democratic

Cook County State's Attorney Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard M. Daley (incumbent) 641,789 100
Total votes 641,789 100

Republican

Cook County State's Attorney Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terrance W. Gainer 177,879 100
Total votes 177,879 100

Illinois Solidarity

No candidates ran in the Illinois Solidarity Party primary.[2]

General election

Cook County State's Attorney election[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard M. Daley (incumbent) 1,303,906 66.70
Republican Terrance W. Gainer 650,942 33.30
Total votes 1,954,848 100

Cook County Board of Appeals (special election)

1988 Cook County Board of Appeals special election
November 8, 1988
1 of 2 seats on the Cook County Board of Review
Turnout65.27%[1][5]
  First party Second party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before 2 0
Seats after 2 0
Seat change
Seats up 1 0
Races won 1 0
 
Candidate Joseph Berrios David R. Wiltise
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,170,558 714,736
Percentage 60.68% 39.32%
Commissioner before election

Thomas A. Jaconetty
Democratic

Elected Commissioner

Joseph Berrios
Democratic

In the 1988 Cook County Board of Appeals special election, one seat on the board were up for election. Due to the death of Harry Semrow, this special election was held to fill the seat he had served on.[9] Democrat Joseph Berrios was elected to fill the seat.

Thomas A. Jaconetty had been appointed to hold the seat until the new commissioner elected in this race would be seated.[9]

Primaries

Democratic

31st Ward committeeman Joseph Berrios, the Democratic Party organization-endorsed candidate, won the Democratic primary.[2][9]

Cook County Board of Appeals Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph Berrios 302,253 54.47
Democratic Jeffrey Paul Smith 252,633 45.53
Total votes 554,886 100

Republican

The Republican Party nominated David R. Wiltse, an attorney who had worked in various positions for the state of Illinois and at the time of the election was a special assistant attorney general representing the Illinois Lottery. After losing the general election, Wiltse would remain in that office until 1994. In 1993, he began working as the city attorney of Des Plaines, an office he would hold until retiring in 2012.[10] Wiltse would later run unsuccessfully for judgeships on the Cook County Circuit Court in 1998 and 2001.[11]

Cook County Board of Appeals Republican primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David R. Wiltse 154,447 100
Total votes 154,447 100

Illinois Solidarity

No candidates ran in the Illinois Solidarity Party primary.[2]

General election

Cook County Board of Appeals Democratic primary[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph Berrios 1,170,558 60.68
Republican David R. Wiltse 714,736 39.32
Total votes 1,885,294 100

Water Reclamation District Board

1988 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election
November 8, 1988
3 of 9 seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

In the 1988 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago election, three of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board were up for election in an at-large election.[1] All three Democratic nominees won.[1]

Judicial elections

Pasrtisan elections were held for judgeships on the Circuit Court of Cook County due to vacancies.[1] Retention elections were also held for the Circuit Court.[1]

Other elections

Coinciding with the primaries, elections were held to elect the Democratic, Republican, and Illinois Solidarity committeemen for the wards of Chicago.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1988" (PDF). voterinfo.net. Cook County Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS PRIMARY ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1988" (PDF). voterinfo.net. Cook County Clerk. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2008.
  3. ^ Fremon, David (February 1994). "Cook County Presidency Plum". Illinois Issues. 23. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  4. ^ "STATE OF ILLINOIS OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 15, 1988" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e "STATE OF ILLINOIS OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 1988" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Jensen, Trevor (April 6, 2010). "Thomas S. Fuller, 1934-2010: Former water district chief convicted in corruption probe". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Janice Hart". www.ourcampaigns.com. Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "African Americans and the Vote: Firsts in Cook County Leadership | CookCountyIL.gov". www.cookcountyil.gov. Government of Cook County. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "SEMROW'S SUCCESSOR ON TAX APPEALS BOARD NAMED". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. January 5, 1988. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "HR1127". Illinois General Assembly. 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  11. ^ Multiple sources:
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.