From collection Candidates
In 1910 Mary O'Reilly first ran on the Socialist Party ticket for University of Illinois Trustee. She received 48, 896 votes (1.92 percent of votes cast), and did not win. O'Reilly was a party activist and lecturer. In 1910, with Nellie M. Zeh, she was prominent in mobilizing support for a Chicago women garment workers strike. In May 1912 she was one of two women in the sixteen person Illinois delegation to the Convention of the Socialist Party of America held in Indianapolis. In November 1912 she again ran on the Socialist Party ticket for University of Illinois Trustee. She lost with 2.47 percent of the ballots cast (83,868 votes). She was a teacher and was also identified with the Chicago Teachers' Federation. She campaigned again as a Socialist in 1916 for University of Illinois Trustee and lost, polling 68,016 votes (1.05 percent of votes cast). In 1918 she yet again ran as a Socialist candidate, one of several, for the office of University of Illinois trustee. Fifteen candidates campaigned and only three Republicans, including Mrs. Margaret Day Blake, won. In the 1918 election O'Reilly polled 41,089 votes (1.32%). O'Reilly focused much of her activism on the Chicago area, arguing for sex and class dignity. When discussing economics she often referred to the historic position of women workers.
