Down ballot : how a local campaign became a national referendum on abortion /

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-ball...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wohl, Patrick, 1994- (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Champaign : 3 Fields Books, an imprint of the University of Illinois Press, [2024].
Subjects:
Description
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.
Physical Description:183 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9780252045479
0252045475
9780252087585
0252087585