Multiple Gubernatorial Candidates Have Nominating Petitions Challenged
The Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield.
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Five candidates for Governor will have to overcome challenges to their nominating petitions to make it on the March ballot.
The only Democrat to challenge Governor JB Pritzker, Patricia Tillman, who is described as a “community advocate and business owner whose life’s work has been dedicated to serving others” from Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood, had her nominating petitions challenged by Tanya Anderson of Chicago. We’re told it’s unlikely Tillman has enough valid signatures to remain on the ballot.
Republican DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick had petitions challenged by former Republican congressional candidate Max Rice.
Suburban Republican activist Terry Newsome is challenging the petitions of Joe Severino.
Rice and conservative activist Sharon Abbott of Chicago filed separate challenges to suburban attorney Max Solomon’s petitions. Solomon finished last in the 2022 GOP primary for Governor.
The details of the challenges won’t be released until next week, an SBE spokesman said.
Most notably, the petitions of Republican businessman Rick Heidner were not challenged. Heidner had about ten days to collect signatures to get on the ballot and filed with around 16,000, according to the campaign.
We’re told the petitions were “sloppy,” and some Republicans inspecting Heidner’s petitions believed he would qualify for the ballot, but thousands of signatures would have been invalidated.
Challenges will be presented to hearing officers, which will recommend whether the candidate should stay on the ballot. The final decision to keep or remove candidates from the ballot belongs to the full State Board of Elections.
