In 1990, a suburban Chicago race for the Republican Party nomination for state representative unexpectedly became a national proxy battle over abortion in the United States. But the hard-fought primary also illustrated the overlooked importance of down-ballot contests in America’s culture wars. Patrick Wohl offers the dramatic account of a rollercoaster campaign that, after attracting political celebrities and a media circus, came down to thirty-one votes, a coin toss to determine the winner, and a recount fight that set a precedent for how to count dimpled chads. As the story unfolds, Wohl provides a rare nuts-and-bolts look at an election for state office from its first days through the Illinois Supreme Court decision that decided the winner--and set the stage for a decisive 1992 rematch.

A compelling political page-turner, Down Ballot takes readers behind the scenes of a legendary Illinois election.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Amendment XXVII
2. Rosemary Mulligan
3. Blood Terrorists
4. Henry Penny
5. Two Cents
6. On the Trail
7. Raccoons, Reporters, and Rapists’ Rights
8. GOTV
9. Dimpled Chads
10. Heads or Tails
11. Rematch
12. Talk of the Town
13. Goldwater Girls

Epilogue

Notes