Aurora native and one-time Senate hopeful Alex Seith dies

Family members say two-time Democratic senatorial candidate Alex Seith (SEETH), who emerged from obscurity to mount a strong challenge to Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Percy in 1978, has died at age 75.

Seith's son, William Seith, said Wednesday his father became ill while visiting his daughter in Florida and died Tuesday at a Miami-area hospital.

The Aurora-born Seith attended Yale University and Harvard Law School. He was later appointed to the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals, and was chairman of that board at the time of his death.

Seith lost to Percy by only 776,000 votes in 1978. Six years later, he lost the Democratic senatorial nomination to Paul Simon, who went on to defeat Percy.

Seith later co-owned several Illinois radio stations and the Illinois News Network.