1978Final results
1978 election for U.S. Senate in Illinois
U.S. Senate · Illinois
Charles H. Percy (R) won with 53.3% of the vote, defeating Alex Smith (D) by 7.9 points.
Charles H. PercyRepublican · winner
53.3%1,698,711
Alex SmithDemocrat
45.5%1,448,187
Bruce Lee GreenLibertarian
0.5%16,320
Patricia GroganSocialist Workers
0.5%15,922
Gerald RoseOther party
0.2%5,465
3,184,764 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1978
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The candidates
Charles H. Percy (R)Alex Smith (D)
Also on the ballot: Bruce Lee Green (Libertarian), 0.5%; Patricia Grogan (Socialist Workers), 0.5%; Gerald Rose (Other party), 0.2%