Woodstock's Jonathan Farnick running as write-in for 8th District

A Democratic congressional candidate who was knocked off the ballot last month now is running a write-in campaign.

But as he answered questions about his bid to unseat three-term Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean, Jonathan Farnick acknowledged his will be a losing effort.

"I know I can't win, but I will not vote for Rep. Bean for any office and I will not vote for a Republican for federal office if I can help it," Farnick, a 41-year-old computer consultant from Woodstock, said in an e-mail. "I'd like to see anyone run against her, and since no one did, I felt I had to."

A Bean spokesman refused to comment.

Six Republicans and a Green Party candidate also are running to unseat Bean, of Barrington.

Farnick had planned to be on the ballot, but in early December the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled he did not have enough legitimate signatures on his candidate petition, which invalidated his application.

He's since filed the appropriate paperwork with the clerk's offices in Cook, Lake and McHenry counties to be a legitimate write-in candidate.

Farnick unsuccessfully ran as a write-in candidate for Bean's seat in 2006.

In 2007, he briefly toyed with a bid but dropped out before the 2008 primary. Farnick's candidate petition was challenged then, too, and he told the Daily Herald at the time he dropped out because he believed the challenge would be upheld.

The Republicans running in the Feb. 2 primary for Bean's seat are: Dirk Beveridge of Barrington, John Dawson of Barrington, Chris Geissler of Barrington, Greg Jacobs of Mundelein, Maria Rodriguez of Long Grove and Joe Walsh of Winnetka.

Perennial candidate Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst is running as the lone Green Party candidate. His wife, Randi, ran against Bean in the 2008 Democratic primary.

Farnick, who does not have a campaign team and is not raising money for campaign material or media, denied he's running for publicity's sake.

"The question should be why no one else, aside from the Scheurers, (is running), not why I am doing this," he said.