Green Party hopeful in 10th District arrested

A congressional candidate in the suburban 10th District faces disorderly conduct charges following an altercation in Chicago, police said Wednesday.

Richard B. Mayers, 38, the lone Green Party candidate for the seat now held by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, was arrested about 2:40 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Thompson Center in Chicago.

While at the State Board of Elections office on unspecified business, Mayers became verbally abusive and had to be restrained by state police, who handle security at the building, Master Sgt. Isaiah Vega said.

Police had no information about what led to Mayers' outburst.

Mayers, of Chicago, was released after posting $100 bond, police said. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7.

He could not be reached for comment. An automated recording on his telephone said the number no longer accepts incoming calls, and he has not provided the Daily Herald with an e-mail address.

It's not the first run-in with the law for Mayers, an admitted anti-Semite who has run for public office several times through the years.

In 2005 while living in Berwyn, he was arrested and charged with contempt of court after authorities said he made a Nazi salute inside a Lake County courtroom during the arraignment of a man charged in a hate-crime attack.

The charge against Mayers later was dropped, but in an interview with the Daily Herald last month Mayers confirmed he made the salute. In that same interview, Mayers made several disparaging remarks about Jews and people from the Middle East.

Green Party officials have challenged Mayers' candidate petitions in an effort to remove him from the ballot. They say he isn't a Green Party member and therefore is ineligible to run for office under its banner. They also say he doesn't represent the organization's views.

Mayers' candidate petitions also have been formally challenged by state Rep. Julie Hamos, one of the Democrats seeking the 10th District seat. Hamos, who is Jewish and is the daughter of Holocaust survivors, has criticized Mayers for running.

The elections board has not yet decided if Mayers will stay on the Feb. 2 primary ballot.

Six Republicans and three Democrats are seeking their party's nomination in the 10th District race. The district includes parts of Cook and Lake counties.

Kirk is leaving the seat to run for U.S. Senate.