Illinois politics is always fraught with controversy and this year’s version of the “silly season” is starting off no differently than in the past. Submitting petitions to get a name on the ballot is step one in the process. Candidate petitions are now under scrutiny to make sure the candidates are following the process to get on the ballot. Most candidacies require a small percentage of signers on their petitions compared to the previous election voters for the same office and also requires that specific rules must be adhered to or petitions may become invalid. That could result in the disqualification of the candidate. Seems fair enough to the casual observer. After all, if one cannot follow the rules to get their name on the ballot, maybe they don’t belong on the ballot.
To be clear, most petition challenges have very little to do with seeing if a candidate can follow a few rules. Usually there is a much deeper reason. It’s politics, plain and simple. It’s easier to remove someone from the ballot process than have to actually run against them. Take for instance the candidacy of Herbert Brooks who is running for one of two seats for Will County Board in the newly created District 6. Since 2008 he’s been the representative of the soon to be former District 8. He has been removed from his ballot position by the county’s electoral board for lack of a sufficient number of valid signatures on the petitions he submitted. The Democratic primary in June will determine which of the three remaining candidates will represent the new District 6. Since there are no candidates running in the Republican primary, they will be unopposed in the November general election. The three remaining candidates will have an easier time campaigning for the two spots.
One of the remaining candidates for District 6 is Denise Winfrey. She is currently the incumbent in District 8 with Brooks. Most probably her petitions were scrutinized for discrepancies, but none were found. Her name recognition and her incumbency will carry more weight in the campaign, making her a favorite to win. There have also been challenges to several precinct committeeman petitions for election. Committeemen races are purely political. They work for the party, usually passing campaign material for the various political party candidates. They have one more most important function. Committeemen elect the party chairperson. The party chairperson has a big say in determining who gets nominated by the party for various offices within the county at election time. The chairman also can appoint committeemen to fill precincts that do not have representation, thus further enhancing the chairperson’s influence in party business.
Another office being contested in the Will County area is the 43rd Senate District Seat. Rachel Ventura and Eric Mattson are the only ones vying for the seat in the Democrat primary. Ventura has filed objections to Mattson’s petitions that could remove him from the ballot. Mattson is a captain in the Joliet Fire Department. His political ambitions were not apparent before filing for the Senate primary race. One source speculated he has area union support. Ventura did not support the Northpoint project which does not bode well for her chances because of the union support the project has. Removing Mattson as an opponent from the ballot eliminates a union supported candidate.
Another source that was contacted suspects Ventura is behind several petition challenges that could help position her as a more powerful political contender now and in the future. Could be. Competing for elected office requires a lot more than just the skill of a willingness to serve the public and an articulate platform of objectives. Election to office requires political skills more often than not, but not always. The ideal candidate combines both skills to best serve the public.
One last thought on the election process. All of the above-mentioned examples do not portend any unfairness or illegal procedures. It’s just politics and it’s been the game since elections have been held. It’s up to the voter to decide if the name on the ballot is the best qualified person to vote for.
Stay tuned…
Comments always welcome at wayneswords@thetimesweekly.com