Petition challenge knocks candidate out of Lake County Board race
A Libertyville man lost a challenge to his nominating petitions and his name won't be on the ballot in the spring Republican primary to face incumbent Ann Maine for the Lake County Board District 21 seat, a county election board ruled Tuesday.
Lake County Clerk Carla Wyckoff announced the objection filed against Robert Haraden was sustained. Haraden lost the challenge because he failed to file a statement of economic interest, as required, the three-member electoral board ruled.
"There was really only one issue in that objection," said Wyckoff, who chairs the board.
The decision leaves Maine as the only Republican in the race for the District 21 seat, which covers Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Bannockburn, Mettawa, Green Oaks and portions of Deerfield, Lake Forest, Waukegan, Gurnee and Grayslake. County board members also serve as forest preserve commissioners.
Maine, of Lincolnshire, was elected in 2002 and has served as forest preserve president since 2010.
An objection also has been filed against Matt Stanton, a Gurnee Democrat running for state's attorney, by Lake County Democratic Party Vice Chairman Pete Couvall. Stanton is fighting the challenge and the proceeding was continued until this morning.
"The candidate is the one who made the preliminary motion to strike and dismiss the objection," Wyckoff said.
"We've given the objector a chance to review and respond."
Lake County Coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd also had faced a petition challenge in the Democratic primary, but he withdrew from the race Monday and the hearing was dropped. Rudd can run as an independent or write-in candidate in the November general election.
That action leaves Michael P. Donnenwirth of Waukegan as the only Democrat in the race. Howard Cooper of Gurnee is the only Republican running for the post. Cooper criticized Rudd for "breaking the rules" governing petition filings. Rudd's candidate paperwork had been challenged by Theodore M. Livengood Jr. and Robert J. Bednar, two Lake County Republicans.
Rudd on Monday said his handling of a few controversial cases and his challenge to Lake County politics led to the petition challenge and his decision to withdraw, but he also acknowledged he wouldn't have had enough signatures after the objection. Rudd, of Lake Forest, was elected in 2012.