1936 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1936 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1936. Incumbent first-term governor Henry Horner, a Democrat, won reelection, defeating Republican nominee, future Senator C. Wayland Brooks with 53.13% of the vote.
Democratic primary
The Chicago political machine unsuccessfully ran Chicago Board of Health president Herman Bundesen against the incumbent Henry Horner in retribution for Horner having vetoed a bill that would have allowed bookies to legally operate, a bill favored by Chicago political bosses such as Edward J. Kelly.Candidates
- Herman Bundesen, Chicago Board of Health president and Chicago health commissioner, former Cook County coroner
- Henry Horner, incumbent governor
- James Fred Robertson, 1934 U.S. congress candidate and 1935 Chicago mayoral candidate
Republican primary
Candidates
- C. Wayland Brooks
- Oscar E. Carlstrom, former Illinois attorney general
- George W. Dowell, Progressive nominee for Illinois's 25th congressional district in 1914
- Thomas P. Gunning, Illinois state senator
- J. Paul Kuhn
- John G. Oglesby, former lieutenant governor of Illinois
- Len Small, former governor of Illinois