Down Ballot : How a Local Campaign Became a National Referendum on Abortion / Patrick Wohl.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wohl, Patrick, 1994- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pullen, Penny.

Mulligan, Rosemary, 1941-2014.

Illinois. General Assembly. House of Representatives--Elections, 1990.

Republican Party (Ill.).

Contested elections--Illinois.

Abortion--Political aspects--United States.

Illinois--Politics and government--1951-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (214 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Urbana, Illinois : University of Illinois Press, [2024]

Summary:

"In 1990, a suburban Chicago race for the Republican Party nomination for state representative between Penny Pullen and Rosemary Mulligan 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"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Cover Page

Halftitle Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

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

Index

About the Author

Backmatter

Backcover.

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Wohl, Patrick Down Ballot

ISBN:

9780252055096

0252055098

OCLC:

1419063487