It will still be a number of days – at the earliest – before West Side residents know which aldermanic and mayoral candidates will appear on the Feb. 26th ballot.
Objections were filed to most of the West Side candidates running for a seat on the Chicago City Council – though not against two of the three incumbent aldermen seeking another four-year term.
Each candidate running for one of 50 seats on the city council must collect at least 473 signatures from people who are registered voters in the ward in which they’re running; petitioners can’t sign more than one nominating petition for the same office, and candidates must follow various other rules to ensure they remain on the ballot.
Hearings that began last week involving candidates running for the 28th, 29th and 37th Ward seats will continue into next week. Then election officials will determine who gets to appear on the February ballot in each of those races as well as citywide positions including mayor and city clerk.
Since Dec. 10, hearing officers at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners have considered objections filed against all four candidates running in the 29th Ward; five of six candidates in the 28th Ward; and three of four candidates running in the 37th Ward.
Here’s the hearing schedule for the 29th Ward candidates (with those who filed the objection listed in parentheses):
- Candidate Gyinga Washington at 10 a.m. Dec. 26 (Bruce Washington) and 11 a.m. Dec. 26 (Brenda Hardy).
- Candidate Dwayne Truss’ most recent hearings were held at 9 a.m. Dec. 20 (Samuel Lewing) and 10 a.m. Dec. 20 (Yolanda L. Hoskins).
- Candidate Zerlina A. Smith at 10: 30 a.m. Dec. 27 (Bruce Washington).
- A recommendation from the hearing officer is pending for candidate Ald. Chris Taliaferro (Anthony Harris and Verlestel Branch).
In the 28th Ward, no one filed an objection to Ald. Jason Ervin, though all of his opponents are being challenged. When Ervin first ran for the seat in 2015, each of his opponents were knocked off the ballot through petition challenges, leaving him the only choice for voters, Block Club Chicago recently noted. Here’s who still fighting to remain on the ballot:
- Candidate Theresa Rayford had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 18 (Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson).
- Candidate Justina L. Winfrey had a hearing scheduled for Dec. 10 (Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson), but she withdrew her candidacy.
- Candidate Jasime Jackson had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 19 (Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson).
- Candidate Beverly Miles’ next hearing is at 10 a.m. Dec. 27 (Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson) .
- Candidate Miguel Bautista had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 20 (Gina Zuccaro and Emma Jean Robinson).
And in the 37th Ward, longtime Ald. Emma Mitts faces no objections, while all of her challengers do:
- Candidate Otis Percy had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 19 (George C. McKinley) .
- Candidate Deondre Rutues had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 18 (George C. McKinley).
- Candidate Tara Stamps had hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 19 (George C. McKinley).
Early voting begins Feb. 11. For more information about getting registered to vote, click here.