Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

A: Well I think in the middle 1960's. I think if you would check in your research you would
find that we had the two June primaries in the year 1966 - they were statewide primaries
now - and in 1968. I'm pretty sure that's correct. Why somebody got thc idea - people
get different ideas you know - thcy might suggest it to them, and all ideas aren't bad and
all ideas aren't good, but somebody got a - I always called it a wild idea to move the primary
up to June, because I recall going to our first, the primary that was in June 1966.
They changed that primary in the session when the at-large election people were
there. That would be the year that Touhy was the Speaker, that would be 1965, wouldn't
it?
Q: Yes.
A: That was when the primary was changed, starting the next year, in 1966.
Q: Yes.
A: I think you'd find that's correct. And that was one of those - T always call it one of
those blue-ribbon wild ideas. It may not have been a wild idea, but it didn't work.
Q: Well the idea of course was to shorten the time between the primary and the regular
election.
A: Yes, the election time. But hell, if you're - Mr. Waggoner, if you'rc a politician, you're
politicking all of the time.
Q: So it wouldn't make that much difference then?
A: Well it might make a difference. 1 told somebody, "IIell, if you're going to move it up,
move it up to Scptember." I know there's a primary in Missouri, and I believe - isn't the
Massachusset,ts primary in September? Didn't they just have one about three or four weeks
ago? Of course I think thc April primary - well, we're used to it in the state, and it wasn't
that bad.
But T recall that in 1966 - Jesus Christ, it was hot that day - and thcrc, the vote, oh,
it was down I think - maybe you'll find that maybe the primary elections herc, now might
run twenty-five or thirty thousand for the Democratic party and maybe eleven to fifteen
thousand for the Republican party, that's countywidc now, and you'll find that maybe those
two primaries wouldn't do anything. They were down by - both partics - close to ten
thousand votes.
Well thcre wasn't any interest as I said because the kids are getting out of school and getting
ready to join their ball teams and different playground activities and we just couldn't get
the voters out. And it was a simple dato to change because no one liked it, I don't
think. Oh, not - everyone wasn't for it. But it just - they went for the third Tuesday
in March. A1 Smith got ahold of it. IIe said, "They're going to change that, Leland, to
March." And I think he might havc been one of the instigators. And I said, iiWcll yes,
it's alright with me. T don't want it in June." And hc wasn't for June.
I guess Smith and I served certain terms together. We got along fine. And he was very
ambitious. He was going to thc United States sen at^, and I wasn't going any further than
I was, I guess. I seemed to be satisfied. But we got along fine. But that - that damned
thing was something terrible. At least I thought it was.
I think I've got something here - you was talking about the cost of elections, and I had
one statement here from a radio station 1 helicvc t,hat . . . there. (proffers hill) There's
some - that W0KZ is out there. That was the 1968 . . .