1966 United States Senate election in Illinois

1966 United States Senate election in Illinois

← 1960 November 8, 1966 1972 →
Turnout71.56%
 
Nominee Charles Percy Paul Douglas
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,100,449 1,678,147
Percentage 54.95% 43.90%

County results

Percy:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%

Douglas:      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

Paul Douglas
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Charles H. Percy
Republican

The 1966 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 8, 1966.[1] Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Paul Douglas, seeking a fourth term in the United States Senate, faced off against Republican Charles H. Percy, a businessman and the 1964 Republican nominee for Governor of Illinois. A competitive election ensued, featuring campaign appearances by former vice president Richard M. Nixon on behalf of Percy.[2] Ultimately, Percy ended up defeating Senator Douglas by a fairly wide margin, allowing him to win what would be the first of three terms in the Senate.

  1. ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 1966 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, JUNE, 14, 1966" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 30, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Perlstein, Rick. Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America. New York: Scribner, 2008. Print.