Michael Bakalis

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Mike Bakalis was the Democratic nominee for governor of Illinois in 1978. [1] He was defeated by the incumbent Republican governor, James R. Thompson.

[edit] Career in education

Much of Bakalis' career has been as an educator. He has taught in public secondary schools, has been a college professor, and was an assistant Dean at Northern Illinois University. He also served as the Illinois State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1971-1975 and as Deputy Secretary of Education in the US Department of Education from 1980-1982.[2]

Bakalis currently teaches on the faculty of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, his alma mater. He is also the President and CEO of American Quality Schools, an education management organization that operates charter and traditional public schools in Illinois and Indiana [3]

[edit] Politics

At the time of his first gubernatorial run, Bakalis was serving as state comptroller.[4]

In 1988, Bakalis managed the Illinois campaign of Michael Dukakis' bid for the White House.[5] In 2002, Bakalis made another run for governor,[6], but had to drop out before the Democratic primary because of a lack of money.[7]