1976 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 2, 1976. Incumbent first-term Democratic governor Dan Walker lost renomination to Illinois Secretary of State Michael Howlett, who was an ally of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. Howlett then lost the general election to Republican nominee James R. Thompson. This election was the first of seven consecutive Republican gubernatorial victories in Illinois, a streak not broken until the election of Democrat Rod Blagojevich in 2002.
Image: Governor James Thompson (3x 4)
Image: Michael Howlett (1)
Thompson joins President Gerald Ford on a whistle stop in Springfield
Michael J. Howlett Sr. was an American politician who served as the 24th Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts and 33rd Illinois Secretary of State. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois in the 1976 Illinois gubernatorial election.
Michael Howlett