Newcomer gets kicked off ballot in Wheeling

Wheeling voters will have three choices for village president after challenges to two candidates' ballot petitions were rejected Saturday.

But the village electoral board did remove one trustee candidate from the ballot, while affirming the candidacy of another for village board, Village Clerk Elaine Simpson said. That leaves four candidates running for three, 4-year trustee terms on the board, she said.

Political newcomer Charles Vallas had submitted petitions to run for village board, but his name was removed from the ballot Saturday after the electoral board reviewed resident objections.

Simpson said Vallas' candidacy was invalidated due to a number of inconsistencies in his petitions.

The board, however, validated the candidacy of incumbent Trustee Michael Horcher, whose petitions also were challenged.

Horcher will be joined in the race by current Trustee and Acting Village President Dean Argiris, Trustee Ken Brady and newcomer Stuart Shapiro.

Meanwhile, challenges to the petitions of two village president candidates were rejected. Trustee Patrick Horcher, who is Michael's son, and David Kolssak, a member of the Chicago Executive Airport Board, both will be able to run for the village's top elected post, following Saturday's ruling. Village Trustee Judy Abruscato is the third candidate for the four-year village president term.

The village president's race had been even more crowded, but Argiris ended up deciding not to run for the top post.