Dawn Clark Netsch
Dawn Clark Netsch | |
---|---|
4th Comptroller of Illinois | |
In office January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 | |
Governor | Jim Edgar |
Preceded by | Roland Burris |
Succeeded by | Loleta Didrickson |
Personal details | |
Born | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | September 16, 1926
Died | March 5, 2013 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 86)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Walter Netsch |
Education | Northwestern University (BA, JD) |
Dawn Clark Netsch (September 16, 1926 – March 5, 2013)
Early career
She was born Patricia Dawn Clark in
She worked on
In 1969, she was elected to serve as a delegate to the
Illinois State Senator
In 1972, she was elected to the State Senate as a Democrat, first representing the 13th district, then the 4th district.
For a decade, she was the chair of the Senate Revenue Committee.[8]
Illinois Comptroller
In 1990, she ran for and won the Democratic party's nomination for Illinois Comptroller and went on to win the general election, beating Republican Sue Suter 54% to 46%.
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. Adding to the historic nature of her candidacy was her pairing with Illinois State Senator Penny Severns of Decatur as her Lt. Governor candidate on the gubernatorial ticket. This was, and remains, the only time in Illinois history two women have headed the party ticket.
Netsch's campaign slogan was "Not just another pretty face."[9] 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, a social liberal who lacked strong support of the Cook County Democratic Party, was unable to overcome Edgar's popularity in a year when the Republican party was successful nationally, and received only 34% of the vote.
Later career
In 1995 Netsch was inducted into the
Netsch was a professor of law, and then professor emeritus, at
Netsch remained involved in politics after her electoral career by backing candidates for elected office, such as
Netsch was married to architect
Netsch died in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at age 86. She had publicly acknowledged shortly before, in January 2013, during a discussion on Illinois priorities (given the state's well-known fiscal situation and reform needs), that she was suffering from the degenerative neurological condition
Awards
Dawn Clark Netsch was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2011 in the area of Government & Law.[15]
References
- ^ "Pioneering Ill. politician Dawn Clark Netsch dies". Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ISBN 9780810124110.
- ISBN 9780810124110.
- ISBN 9780810124110.
- ^ "Dawn Clark Netsch". University Archives. Northwestern University Library. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Netsch Estate Trust". Northwestern University School of Law, 2013.
- ^ Clark, CarrieBeth. "The Illinois Constitution Reviewed". Illinois State Bar Association, 2011.
- ^ "Illinois candidates' profiles. State comptroller". nwitimes.com. The Times of Northwest Indiana. 21 October 1990. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Harp, Lonnie (November 2, 1994). "Focus on Education in Ill. Governor's Race Becomes Blurred". Education Week. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- ^ "Dawn Clark Netsch, Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2010-10-06.
- ISBN 9780226772059.
- ^ Runyan, Rob (July 7, 2008). "Strategies pro and con for Con-Con are slow in developing". Metropolitan Planning Council. Retrieved 2008-10-06. [dead link]
- ^ KEYSER, JASON. "Pioneering Illinois politician Dawn Clark Netsch dies at 86". Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ "Illinois.gov - Illinois Government News Network (IGNN) - Search the News Results". Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ "Laureates by Year - The Lincoln Academy of Illinois". The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
External links
- Dawn Clark Netsch on Politics Interview by Chicago Life Magazine
- Obituary Archived 2017-01-22 at the Wayback Machine