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1986 Illinois Gubernatorial Election

Illinois · 3 candidates · See every 1986 Governor race

Who won the 1986 Illinois Gubernatorial Election?

Jim Thompson won the 1986 Illinois Gubernatorial Election. Jim Thompson received 1,655,849 popular votes (52.67%). The main challenger was Adlai Stevenson III (39.97%).

See the full head-to-head between Thompson and III

Thompson +12.7 pts · won by 399,223 votes
Jim ThompsonRepublicanWINNER52.67%
1,655,849 votes
Adlai Stevenson IIISolidarity Party39.97%
1,256,626 votes
No nomineeDemocratic6.64%
208,830 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.