Socialist Party of Illinois


The Socialist Party of Illinois is a political party in the state of Illinois. It was affiliated with the Socialist Party of America. It was founded in September 1901, though the grouping met in 1900 at a convention in Chicago and supported Eugene V. Debs for president in 1900. It was the successor to the Social Democratic Party of America.
In 1915, the party had 6,004 members. 44 party members held public office in that year, including one mayor, 18 aldermen and 2 members of the Illinois House of Representatives among others. The Chicago Socialist was the newspaper of the Socialist Party of Illinois.
The Chicago Socialist Party was the most active local in the SPIL and one of the most active in the United States. It is now an affiliate of the Socialist Party USA.

Presidential nominee results

From 1904 to 1948, the SPIL placed its nominee for president on the Illinois ballot. In 1952 and 1956, the party's nominee was not on the ballot, nor has the party placed the SPUSA nominee on the ballot since it began running candidates again in 1976.
YearPresidential NomineeVice-Presidential NomineeVotes
1904Eugene V. DebsBenjamin Hanford69,225
1908Eugene V. DebsBenjamin Hanford34,711
1912Eugene V. DebsEmil Seidel81,278
1916Allen BensonGeorge Ross Kirkpatrick61,394
1920Eugene V. DebsSeymour Stedman74,747
1924Robert M. La Follette Sr.Burton K. Wheeler432,027
1928Norman ThomasJames H. Maurer19,138
1932Norman ThomasJames H. Maurer67,258
1936Norman ThomasGeorge A. Nelson7,530
1940Norman ThomasMaynard C. Krueger10,914
1944Norman ThomasDarlington Hoopes180
1948Norman ThomasTucker P. Smith11,522

Notable members