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News
Judicial, Congressional candidates survive challenges : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisJudicial, Congressional candidates survive challenges
| GOP donor will seek court ruling to keep McQuillan off ballot
| by Tony Scott
| 12/24/2009
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Three candidates will remain on the Feb. 2 primary ballot despite attempts filed with the state to kick them off by challenging their petitions, although one may still have to battle the issue in court.
In separate hearings last week, the State Board of Elections ruled that Republican judicial candidate Robert P. Pilmer, Republican state representative candidate Bob McQuillan and Green Party congressional candidate Dan Kairis can remain on the primary ballot.
Candidates on the Feb. 2 primary election ballot needed to have petitions signed by a minimum number of registered voters filed with the State Board of Elections in Springfield by Nov. 2. However, anyone is allowed to file an objection to those filed petitions and can seek to have the candidates removed from the ballot.
Pilmer, a Yorkville attorney, Mike Reidy of Oswego, first assistant state's attorney at the Kendall County State's Attorney's office, and Theodore W. Lagerwall, Jr. of Plainfield, are running in the Republican primary election for a vacant Kendall County Circuit Court judge seat.
Reidy filed an objection to Pilmer's petitions last month, charging that Pilmer had somehow manipulated the petitions after they were signed. But a hearing officer with the State Board of Elections recommended that Pilmer remain on the ballot following a lengthy hearing earlier this month, stating that there was no proof any manipulation had occurred. The Board of Elections, meeting last week, agreed with the hearing officer.
McQuillan, a Batavia real estate agent, is running in the primary election for the 50th State House District against incumbent State Rep. Kay Hatcher, R-Yorkville, and Oswego resident and former Kendall County GOP Chairman Keith Wheeler.
Oswego resident T. John Reeves filed an objection to McQuillan's petitions, alleging that some of the signatures weren't from registered voters and that some were printed and not signed. However, a hearing officer disagreed with Reeves' charges and recommended McQuillan stay on the ballot, a decision affirmed by the Board of Elections, according to McQuillan.
Kairis' petitions were challenged by Jean Cattron, an Elgin resident and an elected precinct committeeman for the Kane County Democratic Party. A hearing officer and the State Board of Elections both ruled in favor of Kairis, and kept his name on the primary ballot.
"Even though the electoral board came to the only conclusion they could, the system is terribly flawed," Kairis said. "The system was designed by the incumbents to protect themselves from challengers. We have to spend our time and resources fighting these 'frivolous' objections instead of addressing the issues."
Challenge 'reeks of backroom politics'
While Pilmer was satisfied with the decision of the hearing officer and the board, he criticized Reidy for filing the objection. Reidy did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
"I was quite concerned with the nature of the objection that was made, because my opponent was not attacking some formality or technicality with the petitions that were circulated, but was attacking me personally and questioning my integrity," Pilmer said. "If (Reidy) doesn't want to run against me, he should drop out.
Pilmer's attorney stated at the Board of Elections hearing that, while Reidy's objection pointed to perceived errors on Pilmer's petitions, Reidy's own filed objection paperwork contained errors, an irony not lost on Pilmer.
"When you look at my opponent's relatively short time of practicing law, and that it's been focused in one area, that he appears to be somewhat careless with various facts and with an understanding of what the law is in that area (election law)," Pilmer said. "And I really believe that the voters need to be aware of his lack of experience and knowledge."
Pilmer also questioned Reidy's connections to Reeves, a donor to Republican candidates. Reeves has given approximately $24,000 to local and state GOP candidates since 2006, according to State Board of Elections records, with $11,000 of that money going to State Senator Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora. Reeves testified on Reidy's behalf at the Board of Elections hearing earlier this month.
"The other matter that should concern the voters is, the people that my opponent associates with, specifically John Reeves," Pilmer said. "And if my opponent is going to be beholden to someone who fancies himself as some type of a power broker, I don't think the people of Kendall County would be well-served by someone who's supposed to be independent, as I am."
Following the board's decision, McQuillan thanked the board along with his wife and supporters. He said the challenge by Reeves, however, "reeks of backroom politics."
"While many will say that petition challenges are just part of politics, it is the part of politics that needs to be eliminated," McQuillan said. "No one individual has the right to decide who can or can't be on the ballot. It reeks of backroom politics when the challenger has a personal interest in the race."
Reeves: Going to court
When contacted Tuesday, Reeves said the Board of Elections decision on his objection to McQuillan's petitions allowed him to seek an opinion from the 16th Circuit Court.
"We're taking it to the circuit (court)," he said. "We're asking for an emergency hearing."
Reeves said he wants a decision from the court to be made quickly so it doesn't affect the printing of the ballots in Kendall County for the primary election. The 50th State House District includes Kane and Kendall counties, but while Kane uses an electronic ballot system, Kendall uses paper ballots.
"We're moving as fast and as hard as we can, to be clear," Reeves said, adding that the process started Monday.
Reeves insisted that he didn't testify on behalf of Reidy, but "on behalf of civic responsibility."
"There's no sides to this issue," he said. "I'm just a witness to the facts."
Reeves also called McQuillan "a good man."
"It's not a vendetta... against one candidate or the other," Reeves said. "We all play by the rules. (McQuillan) has to play by the rules."
Reeves laughed at Pilmer's suggestion that he is a power broker.
"I wish I was, but I'm not," he said. "I guess I'm the cheapest paid power broker in the world. I just love working on campaigns; it's a lot of fun. I (say), this is your home, get engaged, be part of it. Don't stay on the sidelines, because if you do, as the saying goes, you'll be ruled by lesser men."
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