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* Secretary of State Jesse White won reelection this year by a margin of 1,784,128 votes. Yes, you read that right. White scored 3,120,207 votes to Republican Jason Helland’s 1,336,079 and Libertarian Steve Dutner’s 114,556. That was good enough for a 68-29-2.5 win for White.
Whew.
The only county Helland won with at least 10,000 votes on his side of the table was Adams County, in western Illinois. Otherwise, they were all smalls…
Adams, Brown, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Livingston, Logan, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Moultrie, Ogle, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Richland, Scott, Shelby, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White and Woodford.
It looks like Wayne County may have been Helland’s best. The Republican scored 68 percent in the southern Illinois county. But, again, that’s a small county and Helland only came out of it with a 2,200-vote margin over White.
By contrast, White received a whopping 82.1 percent of the vote in Cook County (including Chicago) and emerged with a 1,176,491-vote margin over Helland.
* And even though Secretary White won all 102 counties in 2002 against Kris Cohn, he actually scored a higher percentage this time around: 67.9 percent in ‘02 vs. 68.3 percent in ‘18.
White also received 730,026 more votes this year than he did in 2002.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:13 pm
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By the way, every time I put together posts like this one, I think maybe it’s time that Illinois start thinking about consolidating some counties.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:13 pm
Nice people get rewarded.. Jesse is a Prince
Comment by Wow Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:23 pm
===consolidating some counties===
If school boards and the circuit courts can do it, there’s no reason highway commissioners, county board members, assessors, recorders and clerks can’t. It’s well past time for consolidation. There are something like 40 counties that have less than 25,000 people. They aren’t going to be able to afford these layers of government unless they consolidate.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:35 pm
He got over 88% in Chicago:
White 788,805
Helland 83,507
Dutner 22,716
That’s just absurd.
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:37 pm
===40 counties that have less than 25,000 people===
Correction. There are 51 counties with 25,000 or fewer people. Half.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:37 pm
== though Secretary White won all 102 counties in 2002 against Kris Cohn, he actually scored a higher percentage this time around ==
That’s kind of interesting. Indicates that as the state turns a deeper shade of blue it also becomes more regionally polarized.
Comment by Roman Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:39 pm
Helland: “I worked hard and it showed”: https://www.facebook.com/ElectHelland/photos/a.631647943593377/1926341460790679/?type=3&theater
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:46 pm
-By the way, every time I put together posts like this one, I think maybe it’s time that Illinois start thinking about consolidating some counties.–
I’ve been thinking about that for a while. Counties are artificial lines, drawn for who knows what reasons, way back when.
They’ve been changed before, back in the day. Under the 1970 Constitution, though, the locals have to approve it by referendum.
Consider:
– 15 counties have a population of fewer than 10K.
– another 30 counties have a population fewer than 20K.
– another 24 have a population fewer than 40K.
They’re all required under the Constitution to have an elected county board, sheriff, clerk and treasurer.
How can that possibly be efficient, or even effective, in counties under 10K?
Population and constitution links below.
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con7.htm
https://www.illinois-demographics.com/counties_by_population
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:53 pm
Jesse is a juggernaut and, like others have stated, he is just a nice person plain and simple.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 4:54 pm
Certain counties also have no public ROW, so it makes deployment of internet and other technology infrastructure nearly impossible.
Comment by Duopoly Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:06 pm
FYI, Lisa Madigan’s 72.4% victory in her first re-election campaign in 2006 remains the highest general election winning percentage for a statewide candidate in either party since 1978.
Comment by Siopm1076 Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:08 pm
Hellend managed to lose his home county (Grundy) 45-52.
For context the rest of the Republican slate won: Rauner 53-38, Harold 58-38, Senger 51-46, and Dodge 55-40.
Ouch.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:10 pm
It just goes to show that people don’t take any time to research the candidates and reward politicians that continue to provide shabby service through poorly run facilities.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:15 pm
Maybe it is just late in the day or
I am being abnormally out of it right now, but what does ROW stand for?
Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:17 pm
–It just goes to show that people don’t take any time to research the candidates and reward politicians that continue to provide shabby service through poorly run facilities.–
Yeah, of course, that could be the only explanation when it doesn’t go your way, at 68%.
With that sense of entitlement and whiny grievance, you must be on the tronc edit board.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:18 pm
I grew up in one of those sub 10k counties and now live in DuPage, which is about the same size in area, but nearly a million on population. I guarantee you that the leaders of my small home county are not interested in consolidating with any of their neighbors. Services maybe, but not governments.
Comment by Suburbanon Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:20 pm
ROW = Right of Way
Comment by very old soil Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:23 pm
==reward politicians that continue to provide shabby service through poorly run facilities==
Seriously? My experience, at several facilities and on-line, has been excellent.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:26 pm
Rich I think the same thing then realize our neighbor, Kentucky has 120 counties, I’d settle for less school districts, but I know I’m in lala land.
Comment by Almost the weekend Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:52 pm
I voted for Jesse for two reasons. I dont know if hes ever screwed anything up. And if hes working, he isnt drawing a pension.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:59 pm
@Doupoly - now that I understand what you mean by ROW - please tell me which villages, municipalities or counties do not “own” land along their streets and roads.
I live on a large corner lot in a small village in a small county and mow 12 feet of grass on property that technically I do not own.
Please cite those counties.
Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:02 pm
Point of Information:
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city of Chicago had a population of 2,695,598. The city has 50 wards. The average ward population (city population divided by 50) was 53,911.96, rounded to 53,912. Only 26 of Illinois’ 102 counties had populations greater than 53,912, according to the 2010 census.
Charlie Wheeler
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:07 pm
My apologies– 6:07 post was me.
Charlie Wheeler
Comment by Charlie Wheeler Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:09 pm
Don’t be petty Rich. You simply posted this because of a personal vendetta. If you were the GOP nominee for SOS you too would have been slaughtered. By wide margins I might add.
Comment by Jason Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:26 pm
===If you were the GOP nominee for SOS you too would have been slaughtered. By wide margins I might add.===
Even in your home county which favors Republicans?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:43 pm
Rich, I totally agree with your comment but have absolutely no idea how consolidation of any kind could ever be accomplished.
We do have multi-county Regional Offices of Education and Circuit Court Districts but that is a long way from the consolidation you are suggesting.
There are simply far too many small fiefdoms that will be overly protective of their power that they will not readily cede to a larger entity.
Economies of scale would certainly be possible and monies saved, but I doubt I will live long enough to see anything like this happen.
Point in fact ( and crossing the river ), St. Louis county is quite divided. The City is its own county and separate from the rest of the area.
But there are close to 90 incorporated municipalities in the county, in addition to the unincorporated areas. And each of these has their own government, police departments, municipal courts, employees etc. Only one, with far less than 1000 people, has officially disbanded in the past few years and that was because no one would serve on the board.
And to Mr. Wheelers point, my county has 15,000 residents - less than a third of an average Chicago Ward.
Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 6:44 pm
Can we talk about those horrendous new license plates?
Comment by Snyder Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 8:09 pm
-Can we talk about those horrendous new license plates?-
Or can we talk about the weird process for obtaining a new driver’s license?
Comment by JakeCP Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 8:51 pm
=== - Duopoly - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 5:06 pm:
Certain counties also have no public ROW, so it makes deployment of internet and other technology infrastructure nearly impossible. ===
What? Care to share which ones?
Comment by Cadillac Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 9:02 pm
I voted for Jesse because I have seen real improvements in the driver’s license facilities. Not perfect, nothing ever will be, but there is improvement and that stems from leadership.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 9:12 pm
I live in one of those small counties.
Looked on Wikipedia, and my county’s population has been fairly stable since 1900.
Would be interested to hear why we need to consolidate our county now. Seems there are smaller governmental bodies we could start with.
Sad to see how extremely Blue or Red regions of our state and the country have become. This urban/rural divide is not a good thing IMO.
Comment by S of I-70 Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:19 pm
–I voted for Jesse because I have seen real improvements in the driver’s license facilities. Not perfect, nothing ever will be, but there is improvement and that stems from leadership.–
One man’s experience:
For nearly 40 years, my experiences with the SOS office have been nothing but courteous, professional and smooth. No gag.
It’s a universal joke to rag on the “DMV,” (which is not the name in Illinois), but I can’t relate.
No beef here.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:53 pm
==Helland: “I worked hard and it showed”:==
No, you ran as a Republican in an increasingly regionally polarizing state, and it showed. However, you do hold the distinction of losing Grundy, your home county, even though every other GOP statewide won it, which is interesting.
And yes to county consolidation.
Comment by John Deere Green Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 7:55 am
Mr. Helland leaving the statewide stage in such a pronounced trouncing hopefully will make him reconsider other things he may believe are in his future.
You lost your own home county, Mr. Helland, it’s inportabt you never forget that.
Jesse White is beloved, and deciding to go after him as Mr. Helland did is something only an ego that thinks of themselves would try.
An honest reflection as the race began would be, “I am going against someone incredibly popular. Going after him personally might be a long term bad move.”
Welp…
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 8:05 am
There’s a lot of ground to cover, if we start consolidating counties, mostly in the South/Southeast and Northwest parts of the state. I’m open to the idea, just a little skeptical about how much can be saved without hurting services. I’m mostly thinking offices and workers, not elected officials/bosses. If we had the same or close to same workers, with less bosses/managers, that might work.
Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 8:39 am
Jesse is deservedly popular for his good works and service, but at his core remains an old school Chicago machine pol. Witness his immediate hiring this week of some of the Berrios family members after their mass firing by Fritz Kaegi. The good stuff glosses over some of this other stuff.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 9:09 am
A few years ago, I went in to register a new car, get plates etc. Had to get my partner on the title, need fax machines to get his signature, etc. - it was complicated and my fault and took some time to resolve. Not only was the person helping me very kind and thorough, she noticed my license would expire in six months and suggested I get it updated since it was going to be a wait anyway. That office is run well, and White reaps the just rewards of reelection and overwhelming popularity.
Comment by lakeside Wednesday, Dec 5, 18 @ 9:32 am