As the 2024 presidential election barrels toward razor-thin results, it’s worth recalling Chicago’s outsize role in the 1960 election, one of the tightest presidential votes in history.
It’s a role noteworthy for the critical boost Chicago votes contributed to John F. Kennedy’s narrow plurality in Illinois. But it’s a role far more noteworthy for Chicago’s overarching contribution to intelligent election discourse, and to the sanctity of the election process itself. These contributions offer valuable lessons in the democratic process, as voters prepare to cast their ballots Tuesday.
For example, Chicago proudly hosted the first and most historic of the four debates between Kennedy and Richard Nixon on Sept. 26, 1960. Moderated by elegant newscaster Howard K. Smith, the event was held in the old WBBM-Ch. 2 studios at 630 N. McClurg Court in Streeterville.
Fitting for the first-ever televised presidential debate, it featured two serious people addressing serious issues in a respectful dialogue. Rather than hectoring each other about absurdities such as golfers, french fries and cows, they clashed on issues such as nuclear disarmament, race relations, disarmament and the space race.
The Chicago debate is well recognized for how the television medium can affect the direction of a presidential campaign. Whereas Nixon is often credited as winning the debate on substantive grounds, Kennedy will always be regarded as ultimately triumphant. This is because of the tanned, youthful and confident persona he projected to viewers as opposed to that of his gaunt, unhealthy-looking and scruffy opponent.
Chicago thus offered the transformational platform — the televised debate — with which voters then, and now, could make more fully informed decisions about the respective candidates.
A perhaps more significant contribution was how the validity of the 1960 Chicago tally calls on today’s voters to trust the process of election returns.
Allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 1960 Chicago elections have long carried the status of urban legend, to the discredit of the city and the election process. The essence of this legend is that the Democratic machine and organized crime conspired to cast scores of illegal votes, such as assisting the recently deceased to rise from the grave for the specific purpose of voting for Kennedy.
It’s an outrageous and borderline amusing story that has long contributed to Chicago’s reputation for roguish behavior and political corruption. But, like most legends, it’s not true.
There certainly were elements of suspicion surrounding Chicago’s 1960 presidential vote. Numerous precincts allegedly reported astounding pluralities for Kennedy. The vote tallies for Cook County were supposedly slow in coming in. Kennedy’s victory margin in the state was a mere 9,000-odd votes.
But none of it was enough to overturn the vote. A recount was requested by Republican State’s Attorney Benjamin Adamowski, who had lost his reelection bid. By court order, the recount was expanded to include the presidential vote. The results showed that errors occurred in favor of both presidential candidates and that ultimately Nixon’s vote total increased by only a small amount.
The recount results were essentially confirmed by an analysis conducted many years later, by professor Edmund Kallina. That analysis concluded that of all the Republicans deprived of votes, Nixon suffered the least — and it ultimately wasn’t enough to conclude that the Illinois results were indeed “stolen” from him. Indeed, the Tribune once suggested that Mayor Richard J. Daley’s motivation may have been to defeat Adamowski, a longtime Daley foe, and not to elect Kennedy.
And in what may have been his most gracious public political act, Nixon chose not to challenge the Illinois vote. The Wall Street Journal described how, in one of his final acts as vice president, he certified the election results, describing them as an “eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system and of the proud tradition of the American people of developing, respecting and honoring institutions of self-government.”
Predictions are that the 2024 presidential election could rival 1960 in its closeness. Like before, the final returns may not be known for weeks. No matter who is the winner, there’s likely to be plenty of criticism of the election process and public charges that the election was somehow “stolen.” Yet, as recent history suggests, these kinds of charges can be difficult to substantiate.
Our confidence in democratic systems depends in part upon faith in the election process. As mistrust in that process continues to be propagated by some, voters are cautioned to scrutinize allegations of voting fraud carefully and avoid drawing conclusions too quickly.
Chicago’s important contributions to the 1960 election support a core confidence in basic election processes and caution against reliance on salacious but uncurated information.
Michael Peregrine is a Chicago lawyer. He is a grateful graduate of Oak Park High.
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