A judge ruled against a Franklin Park man’s latest attempt to boot candidates from the Citizens for Change Party from the April ballot in the village.
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The Citizens for Change candidates include Cynthia Guerrero, who is running for village president; Michael A. LaCassa, who is running for village clerk; and Christopher Litwin, Diego DiMarco, and Frank Houswerth, who are running for village trustee. Their candidacy had been challenged by Robert Godlewski and his attorney, James Nally, and at one point the candidates had been removed from the ballot, but that decision later was reversed.
A judge’s ruling on March 30 confirmed that the “the petitioners’ names shall appear on the ballot.”
On Jan. 18, Godlewski and Nally successfully had all Citizens for Change Party candidates removed from the April 4 ballot. Godlewski’s specific objections were that Citizens for Change Party candidates did not clearly state which village they were planning to run for elected office in and they did not properly fill out statements of economic interest.
The Citizens for Change Party are running against the Your Village Your Voice Party, which include Village President Barrett F. Pedersen, and Trustees Andy Ybarra, Karen Special and John Johnson. Irene Avitia is that party’s village clerk candidate.
A Cook County judge reversed the Franklin Park Election Board’s decision in February, and members of the Citizens for Change Party slate were allowed back on the ballot. Then, in March, Godlewski again went to court to fight this reversal, but the March 30 decision will keep the candidates on the ballot.
“To be quite honest, this is typically what objectors do,” said Tiffany A. Nelson-Jaworski, the attorney representing the Citizens for Change Party candidates. She said objectors often pursue ballot objections for as long as possible ahead of the election.
Requests for comment from the Your Village Your Voice Party and Godlewski were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.