So to bring closure to this issue, I found the root cause of the not running issue!
I had ordered a ignition switch to replace as it was only $10 shipped from rock auto, but that ended up not being my issue.
As many of you may already know, in the steering column, the ignition is control by the switch which is turned while a plunger pushes a small black plastic block over a larger white plastic block which both have electrical contacts (not sure of real part name). As the black block slides over the white block it completes the circuit in certain keyed positions.
My larger white block had come loose from the bracket that holds it in it's place, so it was only completing the circuit in the start position. This is why none of my gauges or radio worked in the run or accessories position either. Once I got both blocks out, I cleaned contacts with carb cleaner and made sure they didn't have any corrosion on them, reinstalled them, and bam everything works!
I now have keyed control to my ignition and all accessories. Engine starts up and runs great (choke might need a little adjustment).
Now I have to fix the transmission leaking issue, which appears to be getting worse. I am going to pull the trans in the garage hopefully starting this week. Plan is to replace the rear main seal and the trans seal at the same time.