CRAZY Candidates WIN! 1986 Illinois Democratic Primary!

Patreon:   / daveshistory   References: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12lta... In 1986, Illinois Democrats experienced one of the strangest primary-election upsets in the state’s history. Adlai Stevenson III easily won the Democratic nomination for governor, but two virtually unknown candidates associated with Lyndon LaRouche’s political movement scored stunning victories further down the ticket. Mark Fairchild won the nomination for lieutenant governor, while Janice Hart defeated the Democratic establishment’s candidate for secretary of state. How did it happen? This video examines the LaRouche movement of the 1980s, its unusual mixture of political ideas and conspiracy theories, and the strategy that put dozens of LaRouche-aligned candidates on Democratic primary ballots around the country. More importantly, it looks closely at Illinois voters themselves: low turnout, ballot position, unfamiliar candidates, protest voting, economic distress in downstate Illinois, divisions within Chicago Democratic politics, and an Illinois Democratic establishment that was completely unprepared for what happened on March 18, 1986. The primary created an extraordinary problem for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Adlai Stevenson III. Stevenson refused to campaign on a ticket with Fairchild and Hart and eventually broke with the Democratic ticket to create the Illinois Solidarity Party. What followed was a bizarre general-election campaign involving Stevenson, Republican Governor Jim Thompson, the LaRouche candidates, organized labor, Chicago political factions, and Edward Vrdolyak—a story that continued into the 1987 Chicago mayoral election. This is the story of the 1986 Illinois election, the LaRouche candidates who shocked the Democratic Party, and how a seemingly obscure primary transformed Illinois politics. If you enjoy detailed political history, elections, polling, and stories about the forgotten corners of American politics, please subscribe. You can also support the channel through Patreon. #IllinoisPolitics #PoliticalHistory #ElectionHistory #LyndonLaRouche #AdlaiStevenson #ChicagoPolitics #Illinois #Elections #1980s