Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. Primary elections were held on March 19, 2002.
The Democratic Party made gains in these elections, while the Republican Party conversely saw losses. The Democratic Party retained their control of the State House and flipped control of the State Senate. The Democratic Party also won the Governorship and Lieutenant Governorship in their combined election, ending 26 years of Republican control of the state's executive branch. In addition, among the other four statewide elected offices, the Democratic Party retained their hold of two (Secretary of State and Comptroller), while flipping another (Attorney General). This left Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka as the sole remaining Republican holder of a statewide office.
The losses for Republicans continued a decline of fortunes that had taken place in the state of Illinois over the last several elections for the party, which previously had held all statewide elected offices and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly in the mid-1990s (following the 1994 elections).
Contents
1 Election information
1.1 Turnout
1.1.1 Primary election
1.1.2 General election
2 Federal elections
2.1 United States Senate
2.2 United States House
3 State elections
3.1 Governor and Lieutenant Governor
3.2 Attorney General
3.2.1 Democratic primary
3.2.2 Republican primary
3.2.3 General election
3.3 Secretary of State
3.3.1 Democratic primary
3.3.2 Republican primary
3.3.3 General election
3.4 Comptroller
3.4.1 Democratic primary
3.4.2 Republican primary
3.4.3 General election
3.5 Treasurer
3.5.1 Democratic primary
3.5.2 Republican primary
3.5.3 General election
3.6 State Senate
3.7 State House of Representatives
3.8 Judicial elections
4 Local elections
5 Notes
6 References
Election information[edit]
2002 was a midterm election year in the United States.
Turnout[edit]
See also: 2002 United States Senate election in Illinois § Turnout, and 2002 Illinois gubernatorial election § Turnout
Primary election[edit]
For the primary election, turnout was 32.84%, with 2,321,875 votes cast.[1]
Turnout by county[1]
County
Registration
Votes cast
Turnout
Adams
42,020
15,498
36.88%
Alexander
8,063
2,530
31.38%
Bond
10,818
2,654
24.53%
Boone
26,285
7,072
26.91%
Brown
3,363
1,127
33.51%
Bureau
25,633
8,007
31.24%
Calhoun
3,589
1,222
34.05%
Carroll
11,775
4,115
34.95%
Cass
10,185
3,159
31.02%
Champaign
110,734
28,639
25.86%
Christian
22,647
7,450
32.9%
Clark
11,994
4,368
36.42%
Clay
10,014
1,795
17.92%
Clinton
24,517
4,433
18.08%
Coles
28,732
7,577
26.37%
Cook[note 1]
2,691,821
987,678
36.69%
Crawford
14,989
4,376
29.19%
Cumberland
7,758
2,832
36.5%
DeKalb
47,633
16,703
35.07%
DeWitt
11,843
4,434
37.44%
Douglas
12,100
3,746
30.96%
DuPage
520,682
185,874
35.7%
Edgar
13,052
4,919
37.69%
Edwards
5,146
1,736
33.73%
Effingham
22,548
5,835
25.88%
Fayette
13,916
3,913
28.12%
Ford
9,137
2,933
32.1%
Franklin
29,257
8,839
30.21%
Fulton
24,677
6,392
25.9%
Gallatin
4,729
3,262
68.98%
Greene
9,377
3,506
37.39%
Grundy
24,727
6,137
24.82%
Hamilton
6,252
2,477
39.62%
Hancock
13,238
4,206
31.77%
Hardin
3,681
1,793
48.71%
Henderson
5,398
1,636
30.31%
Henry
38,164
7,348
19.25%
Iroquois
19,632
6,207
31.62%
Jackson
55,122
7,531
13.66%
Jasper
7,156
1,790
25.01%
Jefferson
23,777
7,232
30.42%
Jersey
13,844
3,677
26.56%
Jo Daviess
15,029
4,118
27.4%
Johnson
7,472
2,877
38.5%
Kane
219,721
75,413
34.32%
Kankakee
60,747
15,803
26.01%
Kendall
38,687
15,391
39.78%
Knox
36,934
8,655
23.43%
Lake
337,435
126,285
37.42%
LaSalle
73,827
17,230
23.34%
Lawrence
10,980
3,883
35.36%
Lee
21,457
6,055
28.22%
Livingston
22,260
8,809
39.57%
Logan
19,182
7,718
40.24%
Macon
77,308
20,791
26.89%
Macoupin
34,859
7,363
21.12%
Madison
159,965
42,660
26.67%
Marion
29,583
9,774
33.04%
Marshall
8,877
3,203
36.08%
Mason
10,421
4,058
38.94%
Massac
10,796
3,005
27.83%
McDonough
23,433
6,747
28.79%
McHenry
165,112
42,719
25.87%
McLean
89,295
25,618
28.69%
Menard
8,378
4,079
48.69%
Mercer
12,946
2,824
21.81%
Monroe
20,225
3,496
17.29%
Montgomery
18,314
4,989
27.24%
Morgan
22,435
8,775
39.11%
Moultrie
8,409
3,463
41.18%
Ogle
33,254
11,170
33.59%
Peoria
113,954
30,031
26.35%
Perry
15,412
6,022
39.07%
Piatt
11,668
3,880
33.25%
Pike
12,749
3,976
31.19%
Pope
3,648
1,662
45.56%
Pulaski
6,079
2,135
35.12%
Putnam
4,547
1,302
28.63%
Randolph
24,740
8,101
32.74%
Richland
11,966
1,980
16.55%
Rock Island
106,133
22,203
20.92%
Saline
16,498
6,421
38.92%
Sangamon
128,932
50,869
39.45%
Schuyler
6,369
1,549
24.32%
Scott
3,924
1,708
43.53%
Shelby
14,622
4,514
30.87%
Stark
4,608
1,156
25.09%
St. Clair
170,737
33,660
19.71%
Stephenson
31,490
11,045
35.07%
Tazewell
90,205
23,669
26.24%
Union
13,263
4,029
30.38%
Vermilion
50,969
12,820
25.15%
Wabash
9,998
1,638
16.38%
Warren
12,694
4,381
34.51%
Washington
10,536
2,603
24.71%
Wayne
12,333
5,451
44.2%
White
11,493
4,968
43.23%
Whiteside
39,434
8,351
21.18%
Will
293,864
97,410
33.15%
Williamson
41,787
11,195
26.79%
Winnebago
174,926
51,561
29.48%
Woodford
23,331
7,956
34.1%
Total
7,070,275
2,321,875
32.84%
General election[edit]
For the general election, turnout was 51.86%, with 3,653,060 votes cast.[1]
Turnout by county[1]
County
Registration
Votes cast
Turnout%
Adams
42,861
25,512
59.52%
Alexander
8,749
3,451
39.44%
Bond
10,071
6,120
60.77%
Boone
24,846
11,691
47.05%
Brown
3,416
2,316
67.8%
Bureau
24,322
13,889
57.1%
Calhoun
3,589
2,374
66.15%
Carroll
11,878
6,153
51.8%
Cass
9,023
5,629
62.39%
Champaign
99,225
54,302
54.73%
Christian
22,506
12,593
55.95%
Clark
11,905
6,721
56.46%
Clay
10,310
5,551
53.84%
Clinton
25,110
12,800
50.98%
Coles
30,541
15,406
50.44%
Cook[note 2]
2,730,878
1,423,403
52.12%
Crawford
15,408
7,636
49.56%
Cumberland
7,947
4,299
54.1%
DeKalb
48,745
24,800
50.88%
DeWitt
11,987
5,583
46.58%
Douglas
12,422
6,231
50.16%
DuPage
491,151
274,520
55.89%
Edgar
12,476
8,155
65.37%
Edwards
5,243
2,888
55.08%
Effingham
20,533
13,155
64.07%
Fayette
14,628
8,232
56.28%
Ford
8,642
4,897
56.67%
Franklin
29,655
14,907
50.27%
Fulton
25,195
13,291
52.75%
Gallatin
4,710
3,269
69.41%
Greene
8,530
5,087
59.64%
Grundy
24,689
13,719
55.57%
Hamilton
6,371
4,399
69.05%
Hancock
13,399
8,327
62.15%
Hardin
3,793
2,488
65.59%
Henderson
5,414
3,366
62.17%
Henry
35,931
17,135
47.69%
Iroquois
18,998
11,078
58.31%
Jackson
35,670
16,755
46.97%
Jasper
7,228
4,230
58.52%
Jefferson
24,667
13,347
54.11%
Jersey
14,015
7,947
56.7%
Jo Daviess
15,387
8,641
56.16%
Johnson
7,669
5,113
66.67%
Kane
225,878
109,331
48.4%
Kankakee
56,797
30,145
53.07%
Kendall
44,165
20,874
47.26%
Knox
37,687
19,062
50.58%
Lake
335,313
176,597
52.67%
LaSalle
70,741
38,100
53.86%
Lawrence
11,114
5,622
50.58%
Lee
22,247
12,120
54.48%
Livingston
22,455
12,263
54.61%
Logan
19,142
11,476
59.95%
Macon
76,170
38,488
50.53%
Macoupin
35,024
16,443
46.95%
Madison
165,301
79,631
48.17%
Marion
30,353
13,595
44.79%
Marshall
8,990
5,122
56.97%
Mason
10,659
6,137
57.58%
Massac
10,928
5,569
50.96%
McDonough
18,451
11,073
60.01%
McHenry
169,530
77,529
45.73%
McLean
89,651
43,349
48.35%
Menard
8,584
5,769
67.21%
Mercer
13,080
7,119
54.43%
Monroe
20,886
10,711
51.28%
Montgomery
21,021
10,613
50.49%
Morgan
22,799
12,526
54.94%
Moultrie
8,630
5,349
61.98%
Ogle
34,396
15,738
45.76%
Peoria
111,963
56,206
50.2%
Perry
15,548
8,953
57.58%
Piatt
11,768
6,515
55.36%
Pike
11,851
7,289
61.51%
Pope
3,673
2,159
58.78%
Pulaski
6,066
3,124
51.5%
Putnam
4,670
2,746
58.8%
Randolph
25,105
12,111
48.24%
Richland
12,315
6,405
52.01%
Rock Island
96,573
43,682
45.23%
Saline
16,703
10,313
61.74%
Sangamon
124,339
82,243
66.14%
Schuyler
5,625
3,829
68.07%
Scott
3,752
2,485
66.23%
Shelby
15,011
8,579
57.15%
Stark
4,702
2,355
50.09%
St. Clair
169,173
69,684
41.19%
Stephenson
29,748
14,486
48.7%
Tazewell
90,507
41,870
46.26%
Union
15,721
7,059
44.9%
Vermilion
49,556
24,889
50.22%
Wabash
10,102
4,507
44.61%
Warren
12,861
6,394
49.72%
Washington
10,783
6,316
58.57%
Wayne
12,531
7,800
62.25%
White
11,465
7,437
64.87%
Whiteside
36,423
17,379
47.71%
Will
295,501
150,153
50.81%
Williamson
40,870
22,082
54.03%
Winnebago
175,101
79,235
45.25%
Woodford
23,826
13,018
54.64%
Total
7,043,557
3,653,060
51.86%
Federal elections[edit]
United States Senate[edit]
Main article: 2002 United States Senate election in Illinois
See also: 2002 United States Senate elections
Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Dick Durbin won reelection to a second term.
United States House[edit]
Main article: 2002 United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois
See also: 2002 United States House of Representatives elections
Illinois had lost one seat in the reapportionment following the 2000 United States Census. All 19 of Illinois' remaining seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 2002.
Before the election, Democrats and Republicans each held 10 seats from Illinois. In 2002, Republicans won 10 seats while Democrats won 9.
State elections[edit]
Governor and Lieutenant Governor[edit]
Main article: 2002 Illinois gubernatorial election
Incumbent Governor George Ryan, a Republican plagued by scandals, did not seek reelection. Democrat Rod Blagojevich was elected to succeed him.
Governor/Lieutenant Governor election[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Rod Blagojevich / Pat Quinn
1,847,040
52.19
Republican
Jim Ryan / Carl Hawkinson
1,594,961
45.07
Libertarian
Cal Skinner
73,794
2.09
Independent
Marisellis Brown
23,089
0.65
Write-in
Peter Dale Kauss
8
0.00
Total votes
3,538,891
100
Attorney General[edit]
2002 Illinois Attorney General election
← 1998
November 5, 2002
2006 →
Turnout
49.68%
Nominee
Lisa Madigan
Joe Birkett
Party
Democratic
Republican
Popular vote
1,762,949
1,648,003
Percentage
50.39%
47.10%
Attorney General before election
Jim Ryan Republican
Elected Attorney General
Lisa Madigan Democratic
Incumbent Attorney General Jim Ryan, a Republican, did not seek a third term, instead opting to run for Governor. Democrat Lisa Madigan was elected to succeed him.
Democratic primary[edit]
Attorney General Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Lisa Madigan
698,250
58.21
Democratic
John Schmidt
501,190
41.79
Total votes
1,199,440
100
Republican primary[edit]
Attorney General Republican primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Joe Birkett
527,160
64.04
Republican
Bob Coleman
295,958
35.96
Total votes
823,118
100
General election[edit]
Attorney General election[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Lisa Madigan
1,762,949
50.39
Republican
Joe Birkett
1,648,003
47.10
Libertarian
Gary L. Shilts
87,949
2.51
Total votes
3,498,901
100
Secretary of State[edit]
2002 Illinois Secretary of State election
← 1998
November 5, 2002
2006 →
Turnout
49.99%
Nominee
Jesse White
Kris O'Rourke Cohn
Party
Democratic
Republican
Popular vote
2,390,181
1,051,672
Percentage
67.89%
28.87%
Secretary of State before election
Jesse White Democratic
Elected Secretary of State
Jesse White Democratic
Incumbent Secretary of State Jesse White, a Democrat, won reelection to a second term in office.
Democratic primary[edit]
Secretary of State Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Jesse White (incumbent)
1,104,041
100
Total votes
1,104,041
100
Republican primary[edit]
Secretary of State Republican primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Kris O'Rourke Cohn
725,591
100
Total votes
725,591
100
General election[edit]
White carried all of Illinois' 102 counties.[3]
Secretary of State election[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Jesse White (incumbent)
2,390,181
67.89
Republican
Kris O'Rourke Cohn
1,051,672
28.87
Libertarian
Matt Beauchamp
78,830
2.24
Total votes
3,520,683
100
Comptroller[edit]
2002 Illinois State Comptroller election
← 1998
November 5, 2002
2006 →
Turnout
48.32%
Nominee
Daniel Hynes
Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell
Party
Democratic
Republican
Popular vote
2,150,425
1,108,984
Percentage
63.18%
32.58%
State Comptroller before election
Daniel Hynes Democratic
Elected State Comptroller
Daniel Hynes Democratic
Incumbent Comptroller Daniel Hynes, a Democrat, was reelected to a second term.
Democratic primary[edit]
Comptroller Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Daniel Hynes (incumbent)
1,002,585
100
Total votes
1,002,585
100
Republican primary[edit]
Comptroller Republican primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell
717,379
100
Total votes
717,379
100
General election[edit]
Comptroller election[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Daniel Hynes (incumbent)
2,150,425
63.18
Republican
Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell
1,108,984
40.88
Libertarian
Julie Fox
144,066
4.23
Total votes
3,403,475
100
Treasurer[edit]
2002 Illinois State Treasurer election
← 1998
November 5, 2002
2006 →
Turnout
49.15%
Nominee
Judy Baar Topinka
Tom Dart
Party
Republican
Democratic
Popular vote
1,896,020
1,499,055
Percentage
54.77%
43.30%
Treasurer before election
Judy Baar Topinka Republican
Elected Treasurer
Judy Baar Topinka Republican
Incumbent Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, a Republican, was reelected to a third term.
Democratic primary[edit]
Treasurer Democratic primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Thomas J. Dart
966,421
100
Total votes
966,421
100
Republican primary[edit]
Treasurer Republican primary[2]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Judy Baar Topinka (incumbent)
773,416
100
Total votes
773,416
100
General election[edit]
Treasurer election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Judy Baar Topinka (incumbent)
1,896,020
54.77
Democratic
Thomas J. Dart
1,499,055
43.30
Libertarian
Rhys Read
66,593
1.92
Total votes
3,461,668
100
State Senate[edit]
2002 Illinois Senate election
← 2000
November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)
2004 →
59 of 59 seats in the Illinois Senate30 seats needed for a majority
Majority party
Minority party
Third party
Leader
Emil Jones
James Philip
N/A
Party
Democratic
Republican
Independent
Leader's seat
14th
23rd
N/A
Seats won
32
26
1
Seat change
5
6
1
President before election
James Philip Republican
Elected President
Emil Jones Democratic
All 59 of the seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 2002,[4] as this election followed a redistricting. Control of the Illinois Senate was flipped from Republican to Democratic.[5] Republicans had been in control of the State Senate since 1993, having captured a majority from the 1992 election.[5]
State House of Representatives[edit]
2002 Illinois House of Representatives election
← 2000
November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)
2004 →
All 118 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives60 seats needed for a majority
Majority party
Minority party
Leader
Michael Madigan
Tom Cross
Party
Democratic
Republican
Leader's seat
22nd
97th
Last election
62
56
Seats won
66
52
Seat change
4
4
Speaker before election
Michael Madigan Democratic
Speaker-Elect
Michael Madigan Democratic
All of the seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 2002. Democrats retained control of the Illinois House of Representatives, which they had held since 1997, having won a majority in the 1996 election.[5]
Judicial elections[edit]
Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 2002.
Local elections[edit]
Local elections were held. These included county elections, such as the Cook County elections.
Notes[edit]
^For more on Cook County primary election turnout, see 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#Primary election
^For more on Cook County general election turnout, see 2002 Cook County, Illinois elections#General election
References[edit]
^ a b c d"Voter Turnout". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l"Election Results". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^Hinton, Rachel (1 December 2020). "Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough eyeing run for Illinois secretary of state". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
^"Illinois State Senate elections, 2002". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
^ a b c"Party control of Illinois state government". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
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6