State candidates start filing Monday

SPRINGFIELD — Dozens of suburban candidates for state office can begin officially filing for office Monday even as a lawsuit protesting the political districts they want to represent remains in court.

Many are expected to line up in Springfield Monday outside of the Board of Elections building before 8 a.m. County candidates will file locally.

This week, a federal judge pushed back the filing date for congressional candidates to Dec. 23 as a case challenging new Democrat-drawn boundaries continues. But candidates for the Illinois General Assembly and other offices can start Monday, Board of Elections Executive Director Rupert Borgsmiller said.

A different court case protesting the new boundaries for General Assembly candidates remains in court, though. This week, a judge dismissed the part of the complaint that alleged political gerrymandering by Democrats who drew the boundaries.

But parts of the case that allege racial problems with the new map remain.

The contested suburban races for the Statehouse won’t all be set Monday, though. Candidates have until Dec. 5 to make their bids official.