From comments in today's Open Thread:
Looks like Julia Rietz will have competition in the primary. According to the County Clerk's blog, Alfred Ivy III filed as a Democrat for State's Attorney.
You can view County Filings here, and State/Federal filings here. (GOP Presidential Delegates file next month, if you're wondering why there are none listed.)
And, for what little it's worth - today I filed petitions for myself for the first time ever.
I'm running for Republican Precinct Committeeman in Cunningham 23. :-)
I heard Alfred Ivy filed more than twice as many petition signatures as Julia Rietz. Looks like he has a ton of support from Democrats!
I will vote for you, darn I filed in 38.
I heard Alfred Ivy filed more than twice as many petition signatures as Julia Rietz. Looks like he has a ton of support from Democrats!
That's hard to believe, because the candidates with lots of signatures usually start circulating petitions early on. The first I'd head of the Alfred Ivy petition was Saturday when David Brayfield was circulating petitions for Ivy. Of course, he'd been standing under the Dem tent a couple of weeks ago trashing Rietz and talking about how she'd married a Republican cop. He also claimed that since the GOP hadn't put forth a candidate yet, it must mean that she was fulfilling the Republican agenda. I'm not sure what he'd say if Janie Miller-Jones files, but I'm almost starting to wish he'd just go back to filing ill-conceived petition challenges.
Anonymous 12:48 is actually correct. Alfred Ivy filed over 680 signatures - more than double the amount Rietz filed. And Ivy started passing petitions on Thursday - so the amount of signatures filed was quite impressive. In fact, the Republican candidate, Janie Miller-Jones, filed 345 signatures, which is four more than Rietz. Jones started passing petitions on Thursday afternoon as well.
Other filings of note today were Danis Pelmore as a Democrat for Recorder of Deeds, Devan P. Cowsan as a Democratic challenger to Brendan McGinty in CB District 9 (repeat of 2006??), and Patsi Petrie and Eva Jehle as two more Democratic challengers in District 6 (along with Rosales and Williams to replace Clauida Gross).
Also filing today in CB District 7 were Green Party candidates Kostas Yfantis and Walter Pituc and in District 8 Joe Futrelle.
On Precinct Committemen positions, the Green Party filed 7 candidates, Democratic Party 49 candidates, Republican Party 41. All candidates are unopposed.
In an interesting side-note, on the Democratic ballot in Cunningham 23, Brendan McGinty did not file to run for re-election as Committeman. Rick Somers, who lost in 2006 by only 1-2 votes has filed for that position.
Anonymous 12:48 is actually correct. Alfred Ivy filed over 680 signatures - more than double the amount Rietz filed. And Ivy started passing petitions on Thursday - so the amount of signatures filed was quite impressive. In fact, the Republican candidate, Janie Miller-Jones, filed 345 signatures, which is four more than Rietz. Jones started passing petitions on Thursday afternoon as well.
OK, I stand corrected. I'm curious to learn more about the situation.
I was just checking out the SBE site. Does anyone know anything about Steve Cox, the Democratic candidate for Congress?
Gordy, I like how you already requested to view Steve Cox's petitions.
BBB
Mr. Cox was also very active in collecting signatures for Alfred Ivy. I found that pretty interesting.
"Gordy, I like how you already requested to view Steve Cox's petitions."
That's my job.
"...Republican candidate, Janie Miller-Jones, filed 345 signatures, which is four more than Rietz. Jones started passing petitions on Thursday afternoon as well."
Just curious, I'm sure there is a minimum number of signatures needed-anyone know how many? Did some people just get what they need plus a few more to survive challenges, whereas others just kept collecting? I suspect most most people are like me--if I am asked to sign a candidiate's petition I do so pretty much automatically. Even if I know they are not someone I will vote for, I just happen to feel that anyone who thinks they want to run ought to have a shot at it.
You can find the filing requirements for each County office here.
The philosophy that I have always gone by with petition signatures is that more is better. Each time I have run for office, I collected at least double the filing requirement. The main reason to collect more than the minimum signature requirement is to survive any potential petition challenges - specifically challenging the signatures, if a person is a registered voter, is the person of the right political party, are the signatures authentic, etc.
This year's State's Attorney race on the Democratic side looks to be shaping up as an exciting race between the "Liberal" wing of the party (Ivy supporters) and the "Beckett-crats" of the party (Rietz supporters). Today attornneys who are politically active with each side purchased copies of the opposition's petitions from the County Clerk's office (anyone can buy these copies - $1 for the first page, $0.10 for each additional - I think Ivy's was $8.80 and Rietz's was $4.50). They will look these over with a fine tooth comb and attempt to remove signatures until the filing requirement is not met.
They will also look for other technicalities such as the candidate's name matching on all pages, addresses, if the petitions are notarized, that the petition pages are numbered in sequential order, etc. Some challenges are a real stretch, some are legitimate.
I'd say any contested primary race this year could face a challenge. In addition to the State's Attorney, I'd watch County Board District 9 where many "Liberal" Democrats have no love for "Beckett-crat" Brendan McGinty.
Challenges must be issued within 5 days of the Nov. 5 filing deadline.
They will also look for other technicalities such as the candidate's name matching on all pages, addresses, if the petitions are notarized, and the requirement that very well may trip some candidates up - that the petition pages are numbered in sequential order. Some challenges are a real stretch, some are legitimate.
Don't forget about staples...I (unfortunately) remember that fiasco.
(anyone can buy these copies - $1 for the first page, $0.10 for each additional - I think Ivy's was $8.80
Mr. Farney,
I think it's ridiculous that the County Clerks's office doesn't charge a more cost-representative fee for the lawyers to get copies of petitions. It takes up valuable staff time and county resources, and the fee should be raised to reflect that. Minimum $25 processing fee. Minimum $100 processing fee if you have an Urbana residence or business address. ;-)