As political candidates and their supporters lined up outside the State Board of Elections to file candidacy petitions Monday, they braced against a bone-chilling wind as well as the cold reality that another campaign season has officially begun.
The opening day of the weeklong petition-filing period for the March 21 primary also forced some rethinking for Aurora businessman Jim Oberweis, a Republican candidate for governor. When his running-mate choice, Kathy Salvi of Mundelein, opted to seek nomination to a U.S. House seat, Oberweis said he lacked the time to choose a new teammate for lieutenant governor.
More than 100 people stood on icy sidewalks in snow flurries outside the board offices and crowded inside its doorways at 8 a.m., ensuring they would at least take part in a lottery to determine who gets the top ballot position in contested races.
“This is the friendliest you’ll see the candidates be for a few months,” said state Rep. Arthur Turner (D-Chicago). “It’s like a prefight weigh-in.”
Petitions on behalf of about 400 candidates were filed by the 8 a.m. deadline. The first contender in line was a Springfield alderman seeking the Democratic nomination for a state legislative seat. Outside, board officials set up a coffeepot on a card table to help warm those waiting in line.
Hopefuls seeking signatures
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But opening day was noteworthy as much for who didn’t file petitions as for who did. Most candidates for lower statewide offices in the Republican primary, and two newly tapped contenders for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, continued to pursue signatures of at least 5,000 registered voters, the number required to get on the March ballot.
Three of four announced Republican candidates for governor filed by 8 a.m.–Oberweis state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington. Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz was waiting until the last day of the filing period to turn in his papers along with his lieutenant governor preference, state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger of Elgin. The campaign was seeking petition signatures at suburban commuter stations this week.
An attempt by Oberweis to fashion a strong conservative team was dealt a setback when Salvi, wife of unsuccessful U.S. Senate and secretary of state candidate Al Salvi, opted to file as a candidate in the GOP primary for the 8th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by freshman Democrat U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington, who also filed for re-election.
Oberweis said he would rely on Republican voters to pick his running mate and said he would be comfortable with any of the conservatives who have filed or are planning to file for lieutenant governor.
“I’m not going to have somebody who is pro-abortion and a liberal to somehow balance the ticket,” he said. “That’s a mistake.”
Topinka’s expected choice for lieutenant governor, DuPage County State’s Atty. Joseph Birkett, did not file petitions Monday. Signatures were still being gathered, with a formal announcement of the team anticipated for midweek.
Brady has opted not to pick a running mate and said it was “best for me to focus on the gubernatorial race.” He used the day to call for 14 debates among the GOP primary candidates for governor.
Petitions for Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich were filed along with those of the Democratic Party’s slate of statewide candidates, including incumbents Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, Comptroller Dan Hynes and slated treasurer candidate Paul Mangieri of Galesburg, Knox County’s state’s attorney.
But with the filing of candidacy petitions by Alexi Giannoulias, vice president of the Giannoulias family’s Broadway Bank in Chicago, for treasurer, Democrats were assured of at least one statewide primary contest. Former Chicago Ald. Edwin Eisendrath has been circulating petitions for governor and has indicated he would file at the end of the filing period.
In contests for Congress, filers for the 8th District Republican nomination, besides Salvi, included Ken Arnold of Gurnee, Teresa Bartels of Mundelein, state Rep. Robert Churchill of Lake Villa, David McSweeny of Barrington Hills and Aaron Lincoln of Wauconda.
In the contest for the 6th Congressional District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde opted not to seek re-election, Democrats Christine Cegelis of Rolling Meadows, who lost to Hyde last year, and Wheaton College professor Lindy Scott filed candidacy petitions. A potential third Democratic primary contender, Tammy Duckworth, did not file on Monday but is circulating petitions. Duckworth is an Army National Guard pilot who was critically injured last year in Iraq.
On the Republican side of the congressional race, a primary challenge to state Sen. Peter Roskam of Wheaton fizzled out when John Vivoda, a Glen Ellyn school board president, dropped out.
DuPage County races
In traditionally Republican-dominated DuPage County, a series of contested March primaries began to take shape.
Paul DeMichele, a former Sears property controller and Addison Township trustee, filed to challenge the newest member of the DuPage County Board, Donald Puchalski, in District 1, which covers the northeastern part of the county. Chairman Robert Schillerstrom appointed Puchalski, an Addison attorney, to the seat in October.
Elmhurst lawyer Jeff Redick filed to run for a District 2 seat–east-central DuPage–held by Irene Stone, a former research biologist who has been re-elected to the board six times since 1986. Jerry McBride, a Glen Ellyn insurance broker, filed to challenge Grant Eckhoff, a Wheaton attorney, in District 4, central DuPage.
Nine of the 12 incumbent County Board members whose seats are up for election this year filed to run again.
Robert Heap (R-Naperville) filed Monday to run for county treasurer. That left at least three Naperville residents scrambling for his open seat in the southwest corner of the county: Naperville Township Trustee E. “Erin” Busche, Lisle Township Clerk Richard J. Tarulis and DuPage County Regional School Board Trustee Joseph M. “Joe” Wozniak.
Schillerstrom is running again, and no challenger for his office emerged as of Monday. County Sheriff John Zaruba and County Clerk Gary King also filed, with no opponents yet.
No Democrats filed in DuPage for countywide or County Board seats Monday.
The state legislature also will see a series of Republican primary challenges. In the Senate, state Rep. Randall “Randy” Hultgren (R-Winfield) and Naperville City Councilman Dick Furstenau will compete for the 48th District seat that’s opening up with state Sen. Peter Roskam running for Congress.
Kane County candidates
In Kane County, nine of 13 County Board members and two of four countywide officials whose terms are set to expire next December filed Monday.
County Recorder Sandy Wegman (R-Aurora) has filed for lieutenant governor, and first-term County Board member Hollie Kissane (D-Carpentersville), for House District 43. The incumbent in that district, Rep. Ruth Munson (R-Elgin), also filed.
Other Kane-area politicians who filed included state Reps. Randy Ramey (R-Carol Stream), Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora), Timothy Schmitz (R-Batavia) and John Millner (R-Carol Stream).
Kane board members Dorothy Sanchez (D-Aurora), Ken Griffin (D-Aurora) and Caryl VanOvermeiren (R-St. Charles) are not seeking re-election to the 26-member board.
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Board incumbents who filed petitions included Republicans William Wyatt of Aurora, Robert McConnaughay of Geneva, James Mitchell of North Aurora, Barbara Wojnicki of Campton Township, Deborah Allan of Elgin, Lee Barrett of East Dundee, John Noverini of Carpentersville and Robert Kudlicki of Hampshire.
Former County Board member Bill Morse of Huntley and Todd Barrett of Elgin are looking to unseat Kudlicki.
Two Republicans, Todd Wallace and Philip Lewis, both of St. Charles, filed for VanOvermeiren’s slot.
The only countywide officer to file petitions was first-term County Clerk John “Jack” Cunningham of Aurora.
Republicans Ignacio “Joe” Pena of Dundee Township and Kevin Williams of Geneva filed petitions for sheriff. Pena is the East Dundee police chief. Williams is a lieutenant with the Kane County Sheriff’s Department.
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