Amid the ongoing recession and resultant unpopularity of incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan, Democrats made significant gains in the national elections for the United States House of Representatives and in the gubernatorial elections.

While the election was incredibly close, Republican James R. Thompson managed to retain his governorship.

Authorities found massive fraud involving vote buying and ballots cast by others in the names of registered voters.

Some Democrats have alleged that fraud might have been committed by Republicans in areas outside Chicago to secure Thompson his victory.

[7] In 2016, Rudy Giuliani suggested that the gubernatorial results had been fraudulent on the part of Chicago Democrats.

[10] In January 1983, the Illinois Supreme Court rejected a petition by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Adlai Stevenson III for a full statewide recount, with the majority opinion finding there to be insufficient evidence of either mistakes, fraud, or irregularities to warrant a recount[11] Illinois had lost two congressional districts (the 23rd and 24th) in reapportionment following the 1980 United States census.

George Ryan joined Thompson on the Republican ticket, and won a first term as Lieutenant Governor.

[13] Tyrone C. Fahner Republican Neil Hartigan Democratic Incumbent Attorney General Tyrone C. Fahner, a Republican appointed in 1980, lost reelection to Democrat Neil Hartigan.