Big field preserved in Gail Borden race

Objections against the nominating petitions of two candidates in the Gail Borden Public Library District race have been upheld.

The three-member Kane County Electoral board ruled this week that complaints against the candidacy of Richard McCarthy and Margaret Watts were invalid, so both will be able to stay on the April ballot.

Candidate petitions for McCarthy, the current president who has been on the board for about two decades, did not contain the city and county name on all pages, according to objector Harold Cattron.

McCarthy said it was a clerical error.

Cattron, a trustee of the Fox River Water Reclamation District, said he didn't target McCarthy specifically, and reviewed the petitions of most of those who filed in the library district race.

An objection against some signatures on Watts' petitions was also denied by the electoral board. Objector William Becker said nine signatures were invalid, but the board ruled seven of the nine were from legitimate voters in the district.

Becker, who unsuccessfully ran for Elgin Township trustee in 2009, said he knows another candidate in the library district race, but wouldn't specify which one.

Watts is one of three candidates running for a single 2-year seat, along with Mohammad Iqbal and Penny Wegman. Watts said she plans to talk to Iqbal about her possible withdrawal from the race and support of his candidacy.

Both Iqbal, a local attorney, and Wegman, the president of the Kane County Regional Board of School Trustees, are members of the Elgin Image Commission. Wegman, whose parents both are former Gail Borden library district trustees, narrowly lost a 2009 race for Elgin Township assessor.

McCarthy is part of a seven-candidate field for four available 4-year terms on the library board. Also running are incumbents Jean Bednar, Lisa Knight and Herb Gross and newcomers Victor Laporte, Verner Tepe and Richard Wallett.

Incumbent JoAnn Armenta, the board's secretary, did not file papers to run for re-election.