Congressional candidates knocked off primary ballot because of petition problems
Three candidates seeking to represent Illinois’ 5th and 14th congressional districts were disqualified from the March 19 primary ballot Thursday because of problems with their petitions.
But a fourth survived a paperwork challenge and will be allowed to run.
The Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday ruled Jonathan Antonio Bishop of Palatine and Jerico Matias Cruz of Chicago, both of whom had been running for the Democratic nomination in the largely suburban 5th District, were ineligible because their petitions weren’t signed by enough registered voters from the district.
The decisions followed recommendations from hearing officers and attorneys that reviewed the cases.
Bishop’s and Cruz’s exits from the race leave longtime U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago as the lone Democratic candidate in the 5th District. Tommy Hanson, a Chicagoan making his fifth bid for Congress, is the only Republican candidate in the 5th and will face Quigley in the Nov. 5 general election.
Quigley beat Hanson in 2022, 2020 and 2018. Hanson lost to Democrat Rahm Emanuel in 2008.
The 5th District includes parts of Cook and Lake counties.
The elections board also ruled Krystal Dorey, a Lockport Republican who’d been seeking the GOP nomination in the 14th District, can’t appear on the ballot because she didn’t collect enough valid signatures on her petitions.
Conversely, the board decided Aurora Republican Charlie Kim should appear on the ballot despite a petition challenge. The board rejected an argument that Kim should be disqualified because he previously had filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission indicating he would run as a Democrat for the 11th District seat. The board also rejected a complaint that Kim had submitted an improperly notarized sheet of signatures.
Dorey’s disqualification leaves Kim and Oswego resident James Marter as the GOP candidates in the 14th.
The winner will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville in November.
The 14th District encompasses parts of Kane, Will, DeKalb, Kendall, LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties.
An objection also had been filed against Park Ridge Democrat Michael Donahue’s nominating petitions in the 9th Congressional District. Rather than fight the complaint, Donahue withdrew from the race last month ‒ leaving veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston the only candidate.
The 9th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.