John W. E. Thomas and the election of the fist African American to the Illinois General Assembly

Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Summer 2001 by Joens, David A

Thomas addressed meetings of colored Republicans on September 23 and again on October 7, but the reporters covering the events do not report that he discussed a potential candidacy.29 The October 7 meeting was held to discuss recent outrages conducted against African Americans in the South, specifically mob attacks against African Americans conducting Republican rallies in Mississippi.30 Reconstruction was ending in the south and the position of African Americans in the nation was becoming more precarious. This may have influenced Thomas's decision.

At the end of September, Thomas was selected to serve as one of nine delegates from the Second Ward at the Republican nominating convention for the First Congressional District. The selection consisted of being nominated by the Ward Club and then being elected the following day in a primary. Thomas received 243 votes in the primary, the most of any of the candidates for delegate in the low-turnout election.31 Thomas supported Kirk Hawes, a popular attorney from the Third Ward, for Congressman.32 At the Congressional nominating convention, the Second Ward gave Hawes seven of its nine votes. However, on the ninth ballot, the nomination went to Alderman William Aldrich.

On October 12, the Second Legislative District Republican convention met to nominate a candidate for Senate and two candidates for the Illinois House. At the convention, each area of the district sent delegates. The district, located along the lake front on Chicago's near south side, included all of Chicago's Second, Third and Fourth Wards. It also included the sparsely populated towns of Lake and Hyde Park, which constitute almost the entire south side of present day Chicago. The Second Ward sent nine delegates, the Third Ward sent 10, and the Fourth Ward sent 13. Hyde Park and Lake had five delegates each, bringing the delegate total to 42. On the day of the convention, one delegate apparently was not present.

On the fourth ballot for Senate, delegates selected D. N. Bash of the Fourth Ward. The convention then went about choosing two candidates to run for the House. Four candidates were nominated, with 21 votes out of a possible 41 needed for selection. The candidates were incumbent Solomon Hopkins of Lake, A. L. Rockwell of the Third Ward, W. 0. Cole of the Third Ward, and Thomas of the Second Ward. On an informal poll of the delegates, Hopkins received 22 votes, Thomas received four, Rockwell received six, and Cole received nine. The formal ballot was then taken and Hopkins was nominated with 33 votes to Rockwell's eight.

Three more ballots were taken to choose the second nominee. Added as candidates were D. E. Smith and C. W. Colehour, bringing the total number of candidates up to five. Rockwell led out of the five remaining candidates on the first, informal ballot with 14 votes. Cole had 10, Thomas eight, Smith five and Colehour four. The number of nominees dropped to four on the second ballot and Rockwell's total moved to 17 votes. Smith went up to 13, Thomas stayed steady at eight and Colehour three.