1920 Illinois gubernatorial election

The 1920 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920.

Incumbent first-term Republican Governor Frank Orren Lowden declined to stand for re-election. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. President at the 1920 Republican National Convention.

Republican nominee Len Small defeated Democratic nominee James Hamilton Lewis with 58.78% of the vote.

Primary elections
Primary elections were held on September 15, 1920.

Candidates

 * James Hamilton Lewis, former U.S. Senator
 * Barratt O'Hara, former Lieutenant Governor

Candidates

 * Oscar E. Carlstrom, Mercer County state's attorney
 * John G. Oglesby, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
 * Len Small, former State Treasurer
 * Edward N. Woodruff, mayor of Peoria

Candidates

 * Andrew Lafin

Major candidates

 * Len Small, Republican
 * James Hamilton Lewis, Democratic

Minor candidates

 * Harrison Parker, Co-operative, former president of the Chicago-American Newspaper Company
 * John H. Walker, Farmer-Labor, national Chairman of the Farmer-Labor Party
 * John Maynard Harlan, Harding-Coolidge Republican, Independent nominee for mayor of Chicago 1897 and Republican nominee for mayor of Chicago in 1905
 * Parke Longworth, Liberal
 * James H. Woertendyke, Prohibition, Prohibition nominee for U.S. House in 1904 from Illinois's 13th congressional district
 * Lewis D. Spaulding, Single Tax
 * Andrew Lafin, Socialist, Socialist nominee for U.S. House in 1916 from Illinois's 9th congressional district
 * John M. Francis, Socialist Labor, nominee for Governor in 1916