Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 40

Commenter Mark offered the following summary of this year’s campaign in Jack Franks’ 63rd District:

Well let’s list some of the drama that has occurred in the McHenry County 63rd District State Representative race for the 100th General Assembly, election to be held November 8, 2016.

Jeffrey Licthe remains appropriately faceless.

Jeffrey Licthe remains appropriately faceless.

1. The petitions of Republican primary candidate Steve Reick were challenged by Democrat union leader Ron Eck.

2. Democrat Jeffery Lichte announced his candidacy as a Republican in the primary election.

3. A Democrat Jack Franks campaign sign on Lichte’s lawn was found on Google maps.

4. Jeffery Lichte’s name was listed on the Democrat Jack Franks campaign fundraising committee in 2015.

5. Lichte’s nominating petitions were all gathered by people residing outside McHenry County. Did anyone check if any of the petition gatherers were registered as Democrat or Republican?

6. Heavy Democrat contributions financed a smear campaign against Steve Reick in the primary election.

7. Lichte received many votes in the primary election, but Reick prevailed.

Jack Franks

Jack Franks

8. Jack Franks issues a press release that he will not seek re-election as 63rd District State Representative. That occurred after he faced no Democrat opposition in the primary election.

9. Jack Franks has not officially withdrawn from the 63rd District State Representative race for which he officially filed as a candidate.

10. Jack Franks announces he will run for McHenry County Board Chair, and nominating petitions were gathered.

11. Jack Franks can legally run simultaneously as State Representative 63rd District and McHenry County Board Chair in the November 8, 2016 General Election.

12. If elected to both offices, Jack Franks can legally serve in both offices.

13. Jack Franks could drop out of one of the races.

14. If elected to both offices, someone could be appointed to one of the offices.

15. No one seems to have mentioned a single viable Democrat candidate for State Representative 63rd District, other than Jack Franks. Feel free to name anyone that was overlooked.

16. Jack Franks has said that he would drop out of the State Representative race, if an electable candidate can be found that holds a political outlook consistent with his own. So Jack Franks seems to be saying that even if the Democrats locate a candidate they believe to be viable, Jack Franks will not drop out unless the candidate meets Jack Franks’ criteria.

17. Michael Madigan, the Speaker of the House, the leader of the House, the longest serving State Representative in office today, and the Democrats hold a slim supermajority margin in the State House of Representatives. All State Representatives and Senators in McHenry County are Republican other than Jack Franks, so the 63rd District is a key for Michael Madigan and the Democrats to maintain their supermajority in the House.

So many possibilities.

= = = = =
I’d add an 18th point:

On Friday McHenry County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Bissett reiterated what Franks told the Northwest Herald on May 15th, the day he was slated to fun for McHenry County Board Chairman–that he would withdraw from the State Rep. race.

Bissett said it would be in the next several weeks, the paper reported, and that the Dems are focusing on a single unnamed candidate.

On Sunday, May 15th, Pete Gonigam reported,

“Franks qualified that saying he’d give up the Rep. race if the Committee can pick another candidate who’s both ‘electable’ and holds a political outlook consistent with his own.”

Gonigam apparently caught Franks off-guard…before he honed the message he would later give all other reporters.

In any event, Franks hasn’t pulled out of the race.

Or has Jack Franks finally filed a Withdrawal of Candidacy statement?

Check whether Franks has filed the form yet, by clicking here.


Comments

Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 40 — 2 Comments

  1. Cal, it’s great how you keep the “mystery” going with your click here link.

  2. The link is great, but more important
    Is to send JACK FRANKS the
    WITHDRAWAL FORMS
    For state rep & Mchenry County Board
    Chairman .

    Because “We don’ want to see his FACE
    NO MORE !”

    HIT the ROAD JACK !

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