8th congressional district United States Representative Melissa Bean had two Democratic Party primary opponents when the filing period ended.

One, Randi Scheurer, was following up on husband Bill Scheurer’s third party challenge last year in which he tallied 5% of the vote for the Moderate Party.

She, like her husband, opposes the Iraq War.

Another anti-war candidate, Jonathan Farnick of Woodstock, passed petitions and also filed, but with less than the number of signatures required by law. In 2006 he ran a write-in campaign for the office.

Having two anti-war candidates running against one being characterized as “pro-war” would have given incumbent Bean an extraordinary advantage.

Incumbents always want as many challengers as possible.

Farnick admitted he realized that and you can read why he continued running anyway here.

When Farnick’s petition signatures came up short, Scheurer herself challenged his petitions.

Most candidates, Robert Abboud being a local example this year, get a supporter to do the dirty work of eliminating an unwanted contender.

The State Board of Elections web site says Farnick withdrew on November 19th, late on the afternoon before Thanksgiving, but no one in the media noticed until yesterday, when the Daily Herald’s Russell Lisssau put up a story online at 2:06 in the afternoon.

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At the top, Randi Scheurer is on the left and Melissa Bean on the right. Jonathan Farnick is below Scheurer.