Three Green Party candidates removed from ballot

The field of candidates narrowed in three suburban congressional districts Monday as the Illinois Board of Elections bumped Green Party candidates off the November ballot.

The board ruled in favor of petitioners who filed objections against 8th Congressional District candidate Iain Abernathy of Round Lake Beach, 10th District candidate David Kalbfleish of Arlington Heights, and 14th District candidate Robert Hill of DeKalb -- all of whom the party had slated after the state's Feb. 5 primary.

In each case, the election board agreed with objectors who said the Greens failed to follow legal procedures in slating their candidates.

More specifically, attorneys for the objectors argued that the Green Party failed to elect any precinct committeemen from key counties during the February primary, a requisite first step in the process of slating candidates. In Abernathy's case, objectors also argued for disqualification because he tried to run as a Moderate Party candidate in the primary before being removed from that ballot.

But Andrew Finko, an attorney representing five Green candidates in board of election hearings, said objectors can file challenges on virtually no evidence.

"The concern is that any person can file a short, one-paragraph objection that challenges the other party's nomination, effectively shifting the burden to that party to prove that everything was done properly," Finko said. "Objectors are doing this when they have no basis in fact on which to raise the allegations."

Finko said he and his clients have not decided whether to appeal.

Patrick Kelly, Illinois Green Party media committee chairman, said: "We've come to expect this type of thing from the Democrats who, despite their names, are out to end democracy in Illinois. They'll never stop until they can win every election without competition, apparently."

Candidates remaining on the ballot for the districts in question are Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean and Republican challenger Steve Greenberg in the 8th; Republican incumbent Mark Kirk and Democratic challenger Dan Seals in the 10th; and Democratic incumbent Bill Foster and GOP challenger Jim Oberweis in the 14th.

The 8th District covers western Lake County, part of Northwest Cook and a small portion of McHenry County. The 10th covers eastern Lake County and parts of Northwest Cook. The 14th stretches west from the West suburbs, extending nearly to the Mississippi River.