Raymond Wardingley

{{Short description|American politician (1935–2024)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = | image = | alt = | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|2|13}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|10|29|1935|02|13}} | death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | party = Republican | other_party = | spouse = | partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married--> | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | committees = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Raymond G. Wardingley''' (February 13, 1935 – October 29, 2024) was an American perennial candidate who many times, unsuccessfully, sought office in Chicago, Illinois. He is most famous for having been the Republican nominee in the 1995 Chicago mayoral election, and for having previously performed as a clown under the name "Spanky the Clown".

The embarrassment that many in the Republican party felt about Wardingley having been their party's 1995 standard-bearer in the Chicago mayoral election has been cited as a reason why a Republican-led Illinois General Assembly and Republican governor passed into law legislation that made all subsequent Chicago mayoral elections nonpartisan.

==Early life== Wardingley was born at Cook County Hospital on February 13, 1935, to Albert and Thelma Wardingley. He was the sixth child born of ten children.<ref name="landmark1"/><ref name="odds">{{cite web |last1=Hardy |first1=Thomas |title=Wardingly Still Believes Despite Staggering Odds |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-30-9503300291-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=30 March 1995}}</ref><ref name="votesmart"/><ref name="CNN"/> His family lived on the Southeast Side of Chicago and were poor.<ref name="odds"/> After his parents separated, he and a number of his siblings were sent to catholic orphanages.<ref name="odds"/> He attended Mendel and Chicago Vocational High Schools, but did not graduate high school.<ref name="odds"/> He later obtained a high school diploma.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |title=Election Guide 2002: My Candidates |url=http://my.electionguide2002.com/cnn/election/candidate/?id=10667 |access-date=27 November 2020 |date=27 June 2003|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030627154138/http://my.electionguide2002.com/cnn/election/candidate/?id=10667|archive-date = 2003-06-27}}</ref> He later attended Goodman Theatre School.<ref name="votesmart"/>

==Career== Per his official biography, Wardingley enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1955 at age 20, but was given a medical discharge two years later, in 1957, after an eardrum was injured in an accident.<ref name="votesmart">{{cite web |title=The Voter's Self Defense System |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/33526/ray-wardingley |website=Vote Smart |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="CNN"/><ref name="pollack1"/>

Wardingley worked numerous jobs, including taxi and limousine driver, a taxi dispatcher, steel mill worker, stagehand at movie studios in California, a motion picture extra, as well as an actor in commercials.<ref name="landmark1"/><ref name="odds"/> Wardingley also performed as a part-time clown under the name "Spanky the Clown", a fact which attracted attention during his later turn as the Republican Party's Chicago mayoral nominee.<ref name=wapo1/><ref name=chi10/> He sometimes performed as Spanky the Clown at Chicago Sting games.<ref name="pollack1">{{cite web |last1=Pollack |first1=Neal |title=Spanky For Mayor: Is Ray Wardingley just another clown running for office? |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/spanky-for-mayor-is-ray-wardingley-just-another-clown-running-for-office/Content?oid=886463 |website=Chicago Reader |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=en |date=12 January 1995}}</ref> He also would sometimes fill-in at their games as their mascot Stanley Sting.<ref name="odds"/> He created Spanky the Clown to entertain children with cancer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.<ref name="pollack1"/> He also performed as Spanky the Clown to raise money for St. Jude and other causes.<ref name="pollack1"/> During his 1979 Republican mayoral primary campaign, he performed as Spanky the Clown to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.<ref name="landmark1"/><ref name="pollack1"/> He was described by ''The New York Times'' in 1979 as a "part-time taxi driver who is a professional clown".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kneeland |first1=Douglas E. |title=Jane Byrne's Defeat of Mayor Shatters Image of Democratic Machine in Chicago |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/03/01/archives/jane-byrnes-defeat-of-mayor-shatters-image-of-democratic-machine-in.html |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=12 June 2025 |date=March 1, 1979}}</ref> By the time of his 1995 mayoral campaign, he had retired from clowning.<ref name="pollack1"/>

Wardingley managed his local neighborhood watch from 1989 to 1995.<ref name="votesmart"/>

===Political career=== Wardingley was a perennial candidate.<ref name="CloutSt1">{{cite web |title=Democrats Formally Pick Emil Jones' Son For Ballot |url=https://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/08/democrats-forma.html |website=newsblogs.chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=20 November 2008}}</ref><ref>Multiple sources: *{{cite web |title=Clout St: Democrats Strengthen Their Hand In Statehouse |url=https://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/11/democrats-stren.html |website=newsblogs.chicagotribune.com |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=21 October 2008}} *{{cite web |title=Perennial Candidates Entertain the Electorate |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6447333 |publisher=National Public Radio |access-date=24 November 2020 |date=7 November 2006}}</ref><ref name="rush">{{cite web |title=Campaign Briefing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/23/us/campaign-briefing.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=24 November 2020 |date=23 March 2000}}</ref><ref name="why1">{{cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Anna |title=Why Is Chicago's Mayoral Election In February? Reform, Spoiled By A Clown |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-met-cb-chicago-mayors-race-election-why-in-february-20190225-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=25 February 2019}}</ref> He was never elected to any of the numerous offices he sought.

Politically, he identified himself as a Reagan Republican.<ref name="landmark1"/> Wardingley co-founded the Coalition for Restoring Social Standards (C.R.O.S.S.).<ref>{{cite web |title=3rd U.S. Congressional District, Representative in Congress |url=https://www.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/10-31-2006/3rd-U.S.-Congressional-District,-Representative-in-Congress/ |website=www.forestparkreview.com |publisher=Forest Park Review |date=31 October 2006}}</ref> From 2005, he was a member of the Illinois Right Coalition.<ref name="votesmart"/>

In 2004, Wardingley launched an effort to try and persuade Cardinal Francis George to excommunicate Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, after Daley publicly supported same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Catholic Church Hears Requests To Excommunicate Mayor |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/782/catholic-church-hears-requests-to-excommunicate-mayor |website=Catholic News Agency |access-date=24 November 2020 |language=en |date=11 March 2004}}</ref>

====Mayoral campaigns==== Wardingley unsuccessfully ran in the Republican primary elections for the 1979, 1983, 1987. In 1983, he failed to get on the ballot due to issues with his ballot petition.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of Illinois, County of Cook, Case No: 82-EB-CW-1 |date=7 January 1983 |url=https://app.chicagoelections.com/documents/Electoral-Board/document_679.PDF |website=Chicago Board of Election Commissioners}}</ref> He also once ran as a write-in in a general election, garnering only a single vote.<ref name="spankyfaces"/>

In 1995 Wardingley narrowly won the Republican primary, thereby becoming the party's nominee for mayor of Chicago. The Republican field in the primary was regarded as weak.<ref name="chi10">{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-things-chicago-mayoral-elections-emanuel-garcia-perspec-0329-jm-20150327-story.html|title=10 things you might not know about Chicago mayoral elections|first=Mark Jacob, Stephan|last=Benzkofer|date=27 March 2015|website=chicagotribune.com|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> This was Wardingley's fourth mayoral campaign.<ref name=wapo1>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/03/06/retired-clown-is-mayoral-nominee-of-chicago-gop/3dcf8465-cf02-431a-8dea-19d9a0ce8e3c/ |title=Retired Clown Is Mayoral Nominee of Chicago GOP |date=1995-03-06 |author1=Edward Walsh |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}</ref> However, his victory in the primary was nonetheless considered surprising.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hopeful or hopeless, would-be candidates keep trying |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2010/10/24/hopeful-or-hopeless-would-be-candidates-keep-trying/ |website=Daily News |access-date=26 November 2020 |date=24 October 2010}}</ref> His platform included abolishing the Chicago Board of Education, eliminating the employment-based head tax, eliminating desegregation busing, and eliminating bilingual education.<ref name="pollack1"/> He supported school prayer, making inspections of nursing homes stricter, firing many government officials and replacing them with "senior citizens, disabled veterans, Americans, at $10,000 a year." Wardingley also supported increasing the number of veterans' parades.<ref name="pollack1"/> He spoke about wanting to sentence "drug pushers" to life imprisonment and possibly castration or death by hanging.<ref name="pollack1"/> Wardingley characterized himself as someone capable of relating to working class voters, and hoped that by running he would help keep a two-party system alive in a city so dominated by Democrats.<ref name="odds"/> Wardingley's candidacy was not taken seriously by many.<ref name="odds"/> Many Republicans stayed silent on the mayoral race, rather than endorsing, and a few even went as far as endorsing Democratic incumbent Richard M. Daley over Wardingley.<ref name="odds"/> His campaign manager was Ted Lauterbach.<ref name="odds"/> The fact he had performed as a clown garnered great attention.<ref name="pollack1"/> He ultimately only garnered 2.77% of the vote in the general election.

Wardingley's mayoral nomination was seen as an embarrassment for the local Republican Party.<ref name="spankyfaces">{{cite web |title=Spanky the Clown Faces Daley |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/spanky-the-clown-faces-daley/article_4abc8e81-6f69-5837-99a4-29be754feaea.html |website=Tulsa World | agency=Associated Press| access-date=25 November 2020 |language=en |date=17 March 1995}}</ref> This has been viewed as the impetus for state Republicans leading the charge to reform Chicago's mayoral election system from a partisan election to a nonpartisan election. This was passed by the then-Republican controlled Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives and signed by Republican governor Jim Edgar later in 1995.<ref name="why1"/><ref name="chi10"/><ref>Multiple sources: *{{cite web |last1=Hardy |first1=Thomas |title=City's Mayoral Election Likely To Become Nonpartisan |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-05-24-9505240221-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=24 May 1995}} *{{cite web |last1=Hardy |first1=Thomas |title=Edgar Is Set To End City Partisan Votes |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-07-07-9507070087-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=7 July 1995}} *{{cite web |last1=McClell |first1=Edward |title=Why Chicago Has Nonpartisan Mayoral Elections |url=http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/January-2019/Why-Chicago-Has-a-Nonpartisan-Mayoral-Election-Runoff/ |website=www.chicagomag.com |publisher=Chicago magazine |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=en |date=28 January 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029194439/http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/January-2019/Why-Chicago-Has-a-Nonpartisan-Mayoral-Election-Runoff/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====1999 aldermanic campaign==== In 1999, Wardingley ran against incumbent Chicago Alderman Ginger Rugai for her 19th ward seat on the Chicago City Council.<ref>{{cite news |title=More Choices For City Council |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-10-9902120001-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=10 February 1999|last1=Tribune |first1=Chicago }}</ref>

====U.S. congressional campaigns==== Wardingley ran in 2000 for Illinois's 1st congressional district, winning the Republican nomination unopposed.<ref name=rush/> He lost to incumbent Democrat Bobby Rush, who garnered 87.8% of the vote to Wardingley's 12.2%. He again ran as the Republican nominee against Rush in Illinois's 1st congressional district in 2002 and 2004. During his 2002 campaign he signed the Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.<ref>{{cite web |title=Raymond Wardingly Candidate For Congress Signs Pledge, Demonstrates Fiscal Common Sense |url=https://www.atr.org/raymond-wardingley-candidate-congress-signs-pledge-a1703?page=1 |website=Americans for Tax Reform |access-date=25 November 2020 |language=en |date=25 February 2012}}</ref>

In 2006 he ran as the Republican nominee against incumbent Democrat Dan Lipinski in Illinois's 3rd congressional district. In 2006, Republican leadership expressed embarrassment that the only two candidates running in the Republican primary were Wardingley and white supremacist perennial candidate Arthur J. Jones.<ref name="landmark1">{{cite web |last1=Skolink |first1=Bob |title=GOP decries slim pickings in 3rd Dist. race |url=https://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/3-14-2006/GOP-decries-slim-pickings-in-3rd-Dist.-race/ |website=www.rblandmark.com |publisher=Riverside-Brookfield Landmark |access-date=24 November 2020 |date=14 March 2006}}</ref> On the campaign trail that year, Wardingley refused to shake hands with Jones, saying, "I won't shake the hand that represents the same thing Hitler represented".<ref name="landmark1"/>

Wardingley again ran for Illinois's 1st congressional district as the Republican nominee in 2010. He tried to run again for the 1st congressional district in 2012,<ref>{{cite web |title=Bremen Township GOP Candidate Forum Thursday Night In Oak Forest |url=https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2011/11/bremen-township-gop-candidate-forum-thursday-night-in-oak-forest.html |website=Illinois Review |access-date=25 November 2020 |date=28 November 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> but was removed from the ballot.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

As a candidate, Wardingley expressed support for a "FairTax".<ref>{{cite web |title=Raymond G. Wardingly - Raywardingley.com |url=http://www.raywardingley.com/ |website=www.raywardingley.com |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20101104202429/http://www.raywardingley.com/ |archive-date=4 November 2010 |access-date=27 November 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====2008 state senate campaign==== In 2008, he ran against Emil Jones III for the 14th district Illinois Senate seat. The district was heavily Democratic.<ref name="CloutSt1"/> Wardingly lost by a large margin.

Originally, Emil Jones Jr. was his Democratic opponent, but Jones opted to retire and withdraw from the race, and his son was selected to replace him on the ballot.<ref name="CloutSt1"/>

==Personal life and death== Wardingley was married to his wife Karen.<ref name="votesmart"/> He was a Roman Catholic.<ref name="landmark1"/><ref name="votesmart"/> {{As of|2006}}, he was living in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago.<ref name="landmark1"/>

Wardingley was a second degree freemason.<ref name="votesmart"/> In 2001, Wardingley became a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars.<ref name="votesmart"/> He also was a member of the American Legion since 2001.<ref name="votesmart"/>

Wardingley died on October 29, 2024, at the age of 89.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-12 |title=Wardingley |url=https://www.beverlyreview.net/obituaries/article_8ba47b0e-a127-11ef-8e9e-733f6b6d4570.html |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=The Beverly Review |language=en}}</ref>

==Electoral history== ===Chicago mayor=== ;1979 {{election table}} |- ! colspan="4" rowspan="1" align="center" |1979 Chicago Republican Party mayoral primary<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=388002|title=Our Campaigns - Chicago Mayor-R Primary Race - Feb 27, 1979|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> |- ! colspan="2" rowspan="1" align="left" | Candidate ! width="75" | Votes ! width="30" | % |- | style="color:inherit;background:#FF3333" | | align="left" | '''Wallace D. Johnson''' | '''{{formatnum:18268}}''' | '''{{formatnum:86.39}}''' |- | style="color:inherit;background:#FF3333" | | align="left" | Raymond G. Wardingley | {{formatnum:2877}} | {{formatnum:13.61}} |- | colspan="2" align="left" | Total | {{formatnum:21144}} || {{formatnum:100.00}} |- |}

;1987 ''data needed''

;1995 {{Election box begin no change | title = 1995 Chicago mayoral Republican primary results<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicagodemocracy.org/ElectionResults.jsp?election=crdd_primary,gis_entity_crdd_1995_Primary_Election,il_chi_mayor_rep|title=Election Results for 1995 Primary Election, Mayor, Chicago, Illinois (Republican Party)|website=ChicagoDemocracy.org|access-date=August 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220122705/http://chicagodemocracy.org/ElectionResults.jsp?election=crdd_primary,gis_entity_crdd_1995_Primary_Election,il_chi_mayor_rep|archive-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=RaceID=388005|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=388005|publisher=Our Campaigns|access-date=December 3, 2018}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Raymond Wardingley | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,438 | percentage = 28.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Larry P. Horist | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 2,354 | percentage = 27.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Saturnino Noriega | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes =1,995 | percentage = 23.1 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = William J. Grutzmacher | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 1,579 | percentage = 18.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Kimball Ladien | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 288 | percentage = 3.3 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 8,654 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title='''1995 Chicago mayoral election'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Election Commissioners For the City of Chicago Mayoral Election Results Since 1900 General Elections Only |url=http://66.107.4.19/ |publisher=Chicago Board of Election Commissioners |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040718031857/http://66.107.4.19/ |archive-date=18 July 2004 |date=18 July 2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Richard M. Daley (incumbent) |votes = 359,466 |percentage = 60.09 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Roland W. Burris |votes = 217,024 |percentage = 36.28 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond Wardingley |votes = 16,568 |percentage = 2.77 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Harold Washington Party |candidate = Lawrence C. Redmond |votes = 5,160 |percentage = 0.86 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 598,218 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

===Chicago City Council=== {{Election box begin no party no change| title= 1999 Chicago 19th Ward aldermanic election<ref>{{cite web |title=Ward results for 1999 Chicago municipal election |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/168948672 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 3, 2023 |language=en |date=February 24, 1999}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change |candidate = Virginia Rugai (incumbent) |votes = 17,090 |percentage = 84.13 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change |candidate = Ray Wardingly |votes = 3,223 |percentage =15.87 }} {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 20313 |percentage = 100 }} {{Election box end}} <nowiki>*</nowiki>Uncertified results published in the ''Chicago Tribune'' on February 24, 1999

===United States House of Representatives=== {{Election box begin no change | title=2000 Illinois' 1st congressional district Republican primary<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Primary Election March 21, 2000 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 2,721 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 2,721 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2000 Illinois' 1st congressional district election<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Election November 7, 2000 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Bobby Rush (incumbent) |votes = 172,271 |percentage = 87.81 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 23,915 |percentage = 12.19 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 196,186 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2002 Illinois' 1st congressional district Republican primary<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Primary Election March 19, 2002 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 9,430 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 9,430 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2002 Illinois' 1st congressional district election<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Election November 5, 2002 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Bobby Rush (incumbent) |votes = 149068 |percentage = 81.17 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 29776 |percentage = 16.21 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Libertarian Party (United States) |candidate = Dorothy G. Tsatsos |votes = 4,812 |percentage = 2,62 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 183656 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2004 Illinois' 1st congressional district Republican primary<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Primary Election March 16, 2004 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 7,190 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 7,190 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2004 Illinois' 1st congressional district election<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Canvass General Election November 2, 2004 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Bobby Rush (incumbent) |votes = 212109 |percentage = 84.86 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly |votes = 37840 |percentage = 15.14 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 249,949 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title= 2006 Illinois's 3rd congressional Republican primary<ref name="Il1">{{cite web |title=Election Results |url=https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionVoteTotals.aspx |website=www.elections.il.gov |publisher=Illinois Board of Elections |access-date=3 April 2023 |archive-date=22 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222093629/https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/ElectionVoteTotals.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Raymond G. Wardingly | votes = 12,603 | percentage = 70.62 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Arthur J. Jones | votes = 5,242 | percentage = 29.37 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Write-in | candidate = Richard Benedict Mayers | votes = 2 | percentage = 0.00 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 17,847 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title= 2006 Illinois's 3rd congressional district election<ref name="Il1"/> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = Dan Lipinski (incumbent) | votes = 127,768 | percentage = 77.10 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Raymond G. Wardingley | votes = 37,954 | percentage = 22.90 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 165,722 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing | winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}

===State senate=== {{Election box begin no change | title=2008 Illinois' 14th State Senate district election<ref name="2008a">{{cite book |title=General Election November 4, 2008 Special Election – 14th Congressional District March 8, 2008 |publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections |location=Illinois}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Emil Jones III |votes = 76,090 |percentage = 80.08 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Ray Wardingley |votes = 18,929 |percentage = 19.92 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 95,019 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wardingley, Raymond}} Category:1935 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Illinois Republicans Category:Politicians from Chicago Category:American clowns Category:Male actors from Chicago Category:Catholics from Illinois Category:United States Air Force airmen Category:Military personnel from Illinois