GOP race for governor tightens up after Severino removed from ballot

The GOP field of candidates running for governor in the March 17 primary is down to four, after an Illinois State Board of Elections vote Thursday.

Board members removed Republican Joseph Severino from the ballot after finding that the Lake Forest resident and his lieutenant governor pick, Rantch Isquith, had insufficient signatures on their nominating petitions.

“The candidates submitted 4,748 ballot signatures, which is 252 fewer than the minimum of 5,000 signatures required for ballot access,” board of elections general counsel Marni Malowitz said.

Seven Republicans initially filed to run in the primary with hopes of challenging Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the Nov. 3 general election. Two have since been removed by the state elections board and a third withdrew from the race.

The field now includes former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey of Xenia; former Wirepoints chief Ted Dabrowski of Wilmette; video gambling business owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills; and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick of Woodridge.

Severino objector Terrence Newsome had argued that some of the petition signatures weren’t genuine and some people signed more than once, among other issues.

The candidates responded that the objection wasn’t filed in good faith, and that Newsome did not look at voter registration signatures for comparison, officials said.

At a Nov. 25 record exam, staff reviewed 6,337 signatures filed by the campaign, of which 2,522 were objected to. Ultimately, 4,748 signatures were declared valid.

“It’s a complicated one, but in the end these candidates are 252 signatures under,” Malowitz said.

Seven state board members voted to remove Severino and one voted present.

Severino previously ran for Congress in the north and northwest suburban 10th District.