Challenge filed against Democrat's bid to unseat Ugaste
The candidacy of St. Charles resident Linda Robertson as a Democrat in the 65th state House District is being challenged by Kenneth Shepro, former chairman of the Kane County Republican Party.
Following the June 28 primary, Democrat and Republican officials slated candidates for ballot vacancies when there was no candidate in the primary. Robertson was nominated by Democratic leaders to run against state Rep. Daniel Ugaste, a Geneva Republican, in the Nov. 8 election.
According to Shepro's five-page petition objection filed Aug. 1, all of Robertson's nominating papers state she is a candidate in the June 28 primary. Robertson had said volunteers collected more than 1,500 signatures for her, while only 400 were required.
"As the Candidate's Nomination Papers are late-filed, or purport to nominate her to appear on the ballot for an election that has already occurred, her Nomination Papers are legally insufficient and must be stricken," Shepro's objection states.
Signatures for candidates to be slated in November were to be collected starting the day after the primary - which the circulators certified to, according to the objection. The last day to file to fill a nomination vacancy was July 25.
Robertson's circulators collected signatures during the period for the June 28 primary, not the period for the Nov. 8 general election, as required by law, according to the objection.
Robertson said she was told the June 28 date on the nominating papers was a vacancy for the Nov. 8 election and that she was being slated for it.
"We got signatures the day after the primary and that was the petition form ... from the clerk's office," Robertson said.
The attempt to remove her from the ballot shows how afraid Republicans are of her candidacy, Robertson said.
"As far as I'm concerned, they don't want to give women a choice in Kane County," Robertson said.
But Shepro said the issue is that candidates are required to follow the law when filing their nominating papers.
"If you don't like the law - change the law, repeal the law - don't ignore the law," Shepro said.
"And if you're a candidate, especially for the General Assembly - where you are voting on making laws - and you can't even figure out the right form to use, and do it wrong consistently - what does that say about your ability to be somebody who's writing laws you expect other people to follow?"
Shepro's challenge is one of 20 pending with the State Board of Elections, all of which will be heard Tuesday morning.
If Robertson is removed from the Nov. 8 ballot, she still can run as a write-in.
The 65th District includes all or parts of Elgin, Wayne, South Elgin, Geneva, St. Charles, Campton Hills and Elburn.