Lake County coroner to announce plans for candidacy
Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd, who lost appeals to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot as an independent, is expected to make an announcement Friday regarding his candidacy.
Rudd has scheduled a news conference at 12:20 p.m. in Waukegan to make what he described as a brief statement, then answer questions.
The Lake County Electoral Board and circuit and appellate courts ruled Rudd's name should not appear on the ballot as an independent candidate because a person by law can't run as a candidate for a political party and as an independent in the same election cycle. The Illinois Supreme Court this week declined to hear the case.
A first-term Democrat from Lake Forest, Rudd intended to run for re-election. He filed for last spring's primary but withdrew because of what he described as a clerical error.
As of Thursday, Rudd was listed as a write-in candidate on the Lake County clerk's website. Information there shows Rudd filed for that spot Sept. 8, the deadline to do so. County Clerk Carla Wyckoff said anyone who wants to run as a write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent with her office.
The other candidates for Lake County coroner are Republican Howard Cooper and Democrat Michael P. Donnenwirth, who was one of the objectors to Rudd's filing as an independent.
Rudd declined to discuss his announcement but has maintained that other courts have ruled parts of the law were unconstitutional.
Wyckoff said her office is conducting required accuracy testing of all ballot styles on all tabulating equipment. That process will take several days, then ballots will be printed, she added.
Ballots to be mailed overseas and military ballots must be ready to mail Sept. 23, and regular vote-by-mail ballots on Sept. 29. Early voting begins Oct. 24.