Dawn Clark Netsch has died.
The longtime Democratic politician was the first woman to become a major party nominee for governor of Illinois, when she ran unsuccessfully against Jim Edgar in 1994.
Netsch died early this morning after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.
She was well respected for her knowledge of state government and finance.
Prior to running for governor, she had served for years as a state senator, and then as comptroller.
She was also a delegate to the 1970 state constitutional convention.
Netsch was 86.
