Judge keeps Round Lake Park mayoral hopeful McCarty on ballot

A Lake County judge ruled Tuesday that Round Lake Park mayoral candidate Ray McCarty can remain on the April 4 ballot, overturning an electoral panel's previous decision removing him from the race.

McCarty, 57, garnered just enough signatures on his nominating petitions to continue his challenge of incumbent Mayor Linda Lucassen, Judge Diane Winters said in court.

"This gives me the opportunity to make a change in my community," McCarty said when reached by telephone after Winters handed down the decision.

McCarty, a political newcomer and local business owner, hopes to unseat Lucassen, who served the village for 14 years as clerk and two years as a trustee before being elected mayor in 2013.

Village attorney Peter Karlovics said McCarty's election petitions were challenged because some signatures seemed questionable.

McCarty needed 35 authentic signatures to get on the ballot, and turned in 42, Karlovics said. The challenge claimed nine of the signatures should be thrown out - seven because they were not from registered voters and two that, according to the objection, looked to be forgeries.

The Round Lake Park electoral board determined the nine signatures were not authentic, and voted to remove McCarty from the ballot.

However, McCarty took the case to Lake County court, where Winters said the two signatures thought to be forgeries were legitimate.

The decision gave McCarty 35 valid signatures, just enough to keep him on the ballot.

"Ray felt the electoral board treated him unfairly, so he chose to pursue the issue in court," McCarty attorney Michael Salvi said Tuesday. "Now he has enough signatures to be on the ballot."

Lucassen said Tuesday she is "confident" voters will elect her to a second term.

"I feel confident I'm the better candidate," she said. "It comes down to my years of experience as mayor. It may be a part-time position, but I work as mayor full time."