Candidates running for West Side aldermanic seats face challenges


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Challenges have been filed in all of the West Side aldermanic races.

The public had until Monday, Dec. 3 to challenge a candidate’s petition; each aldermanic candidate was required to turn in 473 signatures from registered voters in the ward in which they’re running.

Election officials will decide in coming days whether a challenged candidate should remain on the Feb. 26th ballot; candidates will be given the opportunity to defend their petition at a hearing.

Each of the four candidates running for 29th Ward received at least one objection to their petition:

  • Ald. Chris Taliaferro (challenged by Anthony Harris, Verlestel Branch and Yolanda L. Hoskins)
  • Dwayne Truss (challenged by Yolanda L. Hoskins and Samuel Lewing)
  • Gayinga Washington (challenged by Bruce Washington and Brenda Hardy)
  • Zerlina A. Smith (challenged by Bruce Washington)

In the 37th Ward, all three candidates challenging longtime 37th Ward Ald. Emma M. Mitts ― Tara Stamps Deondre Rutues and Otis Percy ― have received objections from George C. McKinley.

And in the 28th Ward, objections have been filed against all five of the candidates challenging incumbent Ald. Jason C. Ervin:

  • Miguel Bautista (challenged by Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson)
  • Jasmine Jackson (challenged by Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson)
  • Theresa Rayford (challenged by Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson)
  • Justina L. Winfrey (challenged by Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson)
  • Beverly Miles (challenged by Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson)

Twelve of the 21 people who filed petitions to run for mayor – they had to collect 12,500 signatures of registered Chicago voters – face challenges, including Austin state Rep. La Shawn Ford.

The objection, made by Karisha Carriel, Melvin Gunn and Ronisha Dobine, allege signatures on Ford’s petition were signed by the same hand instead of by individual voters and that some signatures were signed by family members instead of by the persons listed. Over 100 pages of signatures are being challenged in the objection.

A list of all the challenged candidates can be found here, and here’s the list of candidates who filed to run in the February local election.

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