Schaumburg Township ballot loses one candidate (so far)

The Schaumburg Township electoral board on Wednesday bounced from the April ballot one of five Democratic candidates facing objections over their mandatory statements of economic interest.

The panel could remove the rest Monday when it reconvenes to make a decision on a second set of objections, this one claiming all five candidates were slated to run by an Democratic official who wasn’t the properly appointed.

Township trustee candidate Moe Patel was the only member of the Democratic slate whose statement of economic interest didn’t substantially conform to requirements, the electoral board voted. Patel, the board ruled, didn’t identify which of five possible township offices he was seeking.

But the electoral board didn’t fault his fellow trustee candidates Mike Murray, Carolyn A. Quinn and Zuhair Nubani or highway commissioner candidate Michael Lenehan for not including their addresses because the Cook County form they used left no space for an address.

The objections that remain concern whether local Democratic leader Mike Cudzik had the proper authority to slate the candidates at the party’s early December caucus.

The candidates’ attorney, Dan Johnson, said there is no argument that Cudzik has not yet been made the township’s official Democratic committeeman by the Cook County Central Committee.

But he argued that Cudzik had the authority to slate candidates because he had been elected chairman of the Township Central Committee just before the December caucus.

Attorney Steven Laduzinsky, who represents objector Chandrakant Pandya of Roselle, said neither the vacancy created by former Democratic committeeman Rocco Terranova’s resignation nor any subsequent filling of that vacancy was properly filed with the Cook County clerk.

“Organized political parties have a structure under the law,” Laduzinsky said of the filing requirement. “That’s the security gate that the election code requires.”

Johnson reiterated that the only position of importance in slating candidates was that of the chairman of the Township Central Committee, who is always named at or just before the caucus. There was no legally recognized vacancy to report or fill, he added.

As for Wednesday’s decisions, Laduzinsky and Johnson said appeals wouldn’t be considered until the board finishes ruling on all matters Monday.

The electoral board consists of Schaumburg Township Supervisor Mary Wroblewski, Township Clerk Timothy Heneghan and court appointee Ellen Raymond.

Neither Wroblewski nor Heneghan has a declared opponent in the April race. Raymond was appointed because senior Trustee Diane Dunham, who would normally have served on the board, is running for re-election.

Other members of the Republican slate include trustees Robert Vinnedge, Jeffrey Mytych and Assessor John Lawson seeking re-election; newcomer Nimish Jani running for trustee; and current Trustee Scott Kegarise running for highway commissioner.