By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and 11 other candidates in the February mayoral race face formal challenges to their nominating petitions, according to AM 560’s Mike Scott.
The challenges, filed with the Chicago Board of Elections, could remove candidates from the ballot if hearing officers find they fell short of the signatures required to qualify.
Ricky Hendon, a former state senator working with Willie Wilson’s mayoral campaign, said Johnson’s petitions do not include enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The exact number of signatures in dispute was not confirmed.
“No one is above the law, including the mayor,” Hendon said.
Other mayoral candidates facing petition challenges include Alexi Giannoulias, Susana Mendoza, Mike Quigley and Pappas, according to AM 560. The station did not provide first names or titles for all of the candidates named.
A separate candidate, John Kelly, faces a challenge over residency requirements. The race connected to that challenge was not specified in available reporting.
The petition fight also reaches the City Council. Ald. Gregory Mitchell and all five of his opponents in the 7th Ward race face petition challenges, according to AM 560.
The Chicago Board of Elections is expected to hold hearings on the challenges in the coming weeks as it finalizes the ballot for the February election. The Johnson campaign had not responded to the challenges as of Tuesday, according to AM 560.
