Dawn Clark Netsch

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Dawn Clark Netsch (born September 16, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an Illinois professor of law and politician. A member of the Democratic Party in the United States, she served as Comptroller of Illinois and in 1994 was the first woman to be nominated in a major political party to run for Governor of Illinois. In 2006, Judy Baar Topinka became only the second woman nominated by a major party.

[edit] Early career

Netsch attended Northwestern University in Evanston where she graduated magna cum laude in 1952. She later became professor of law at the university.

In 1970, she was elected to be a delegate at the Illinois Constitutional Convention which took place later that year. In 1973, she was elected to the State Senate as a Democrat, first representing the 13th district, then the 4th district.

In 1990, she ran for and won the Democratic party's nomination for Comptroller of Illinois, and went on to win the general election beating Republican Sue Suter 54% to 46%.

[edit] Gubernatorial race

Four years later, in 1994, she won an upset victory in the Democratic primary for Illinois governor, beating Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris and Cook County Board President Richard Phelan, winning by more than 10 points ahead of Burris. Netsch had been behind in the polls a few weeks earlier. During the primary, she aired a campaign ad showing her playing-and winning-a game of eight-ball pool; reflecting a lifelong hobby of hers and also playing on her reputation as a "straight shooter". The effectiveness of this ad, in contrast to the far more flashy ones aired by her much better funded opponents, was seen as contributing to her surge in the polls in the final weeks of the primary campaign.

She proposed increasing the state income tax rate from 3% to 4.25% to pay for educational funding and reduce property taxes, a plan which was attacked by her Republican opponent, Governor Jim Edgar. Netsch was unable to overcome Edgar's popularity, combined with the national 1994 Republican sweep losing by a large margin receiving only 34% of the vote.

Netsch is currently a professor of Law Emeritus at Northwestern University, and is married to famed architect Walter Netsch.

[edit] External links

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