Hebda off ballot in state House District 59 race
Cynthia Hebda, a 59th House District candidate, has been removed from the Feb. 2 Republican primary ballot, State Board of Elections officials confirmed Thursday.
A Cook County circuit court judge ruled Hebda, 53, of Vernon Hills, violated election rules when she signed a nominating petition for state Rep. Carol Sente. It's against the rules to sign a nominating petition for a candidate and then decide to run for the same seat.
Sente, a Democrat, was appointed to the seat last September after former state Rep. Kathy Ryg stepped down. Sente faces Buffalo Grove Village President Elliott Hartstein in the Democratic primary.
Hebda did not return calls for comment. A Republican Party spokesman said the ruling is being appealed and lawyers advised Hebda not to comment.
State Board of Elections General Counsel Steve Sandvoss said the circuit court judge reversed an earlier decision by the State Officers Electoral Board that ruled in favor of Hebda staying on the ballot.
Lake County Republican Party Chairman Dan Venturi said he's confident the appeals court will rule in favor of Hebda.
"At the end of the day, I believe she'll be able to stay on the ballot," Venturi said Thursday. "The merits of this case are ludicrous."
Venturi said Hebda signed Sente's nominating petition before she decided to run for the same office.
"They know each other well. They are friends," Venturi said. "If this stands, people will be afraid to sign nominating petitions. If they don't reverse the decision, they will be creating a nightmare."
Two other Republicans - attorney Dan Sugrue and business owner Mohan Manian, both of Green Oaks - also are on the ballot.
Sugrue ran unsuccessfully against Ryg in 2006. Sugrue and Manian said they don't want to comment until the appeals court makes a final decision.
If Hebda loses her appeal, Venturi still sees a positive outcome.
"The Republican Party will come out of this unified," he said. "I think the Democrats will end up with hard feelings."