Luv the Guv

White text on a blue flower shape on a light blue background

Democrat Samuel H. Shapiro served as the Governor of Illinois between 1968 and 1969 when the former governor Otto Kerner Jr. vacated the seat after accepting an appointment to the federal appellate court. Shapiro became the second Jewish governor in the history of the state. In 1968, he sought a full term and ran in the gubernatorial election against Republican Richard B. Ogilvie. Shapiro adopted the “Luv the Guv” slogan, creating campaign posters and buttons that fit a psychedelic theme. In spite of the creative marketing put together by the Shapiro team, Ogilvie pulled away just enough to narrowly defeat the Democratic incumbent.

After his loss, Shapiro retired from being a public servant and returned to his private life. He was a practicing attorney in the small town of Kankakee, Illinois until his death in 1987.