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June 23, 2005

Helene Curtis Qualifies For Governor (Republican Party No Less)

The former president and chief executive officer of Helene Curtis announced Tuesday he'll seek the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois in 2006.

After leaving the cosmetics giant, Ron Gidwitz served as the head of the state Education Department from 1999 to 2004.

Gidwitz, 60, currently leads a coalition of business groups that has been critical of Democratic Gov. Blagojevich's business fee and tax increases. Blagojevich is widely expected to seek a second term.

Gidwitz announced his candidacy in former President Reagan's boyhood home of Dixon.

"We have a governor who doesn't show up at the office in Springfield, doesn't lead the Legislature in a fashion that's going to solve the problems, is fiscally imprudent by borrowing money from the pension funds," Gidwitz said.

Blagojevich spokesman Pete Giangreco said the governor "has been busy cleaning up the mess that Ron Gidwitz left at the State Board of Education."

Conservative dairy owner Jim Oberweis in April became the first Republican to declare his candidacy

Posted by at June 23, 2005 11:44 AM

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