1972Final results
1972 election for Illinois Legislative District 53
Illinois State Senate · Illinois
Tom Merritt (R) won with 58.2% of the vote, defeating Herbert F. Hales Jr. (D) by 16.7 points.
Tom MerrittRepublican · winner · incumbent
58.2%47,724
Herbert F. Hales Jr.Democrat
41.6%34,070
Harry C. GeorgeOther party
0.2%165
81,959 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1972
Races before and after
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET