Statement of Candidacy Discrepancies Bring Early Drama to GOP Township Primaries

Elections have several phases.

First there is the intimidation phase.

When opponents or potential opponents hear that one is running for office, they enlist people whom they think can influence you to call or meet with you to convince you that running would be a bad idea.

After that comes the the petition challenge.

This year there are issues with Statements of Candidacy in all three townships holding a Republican Pimary Election on February 28th.

It seems that there was a problem.

McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan posted Statements of Candidacy, but some candidates had a poblem getting the correct one, assuming that it was even on her web iste.

Take Grafton Township Clerk candidate Dina Frigo.

Grafton Township Clerk candidate Dina Frigo's Statement of Candidacy.

Grafton Township Clerk candidate Dina Frigo’s Statement of Candidacy.

I searched the document for some place that Frigo said she was running in the Republican Party primary, but can’t find it.  The form does contain the date of the GOP Primary, so maybe that is good enough.

Frigo’s opponent is Kathleen Watson.

Her Statement of Candidacy is below:

Kathleen Watson's Statement of Candidacy

Kathleen Watson’s Statement of Candidacy

Watson’s form asks that her “name be placed upon the official Republican primary ballot for nomination/election for such office.”

Would a challenge knock Frigo off the ballot?

If some citizen filed a challenge, the Grafton Township Electoral Board would be convened.

It would consist of the Township Supervisor, the Township Clerk and the senior Township Trustee.

Any decision could be appealed to the McHenry County Circuit Clerk.

In Nunda Township the slate running with incumbent Township Supervisor Lee Jennings (Road Commissioner Mike Lesperance, Assessor candideate Justin Franzke, Clerk candidate Joni Smith, Trustee candidates Ed Dvorak, Karen Tynis, William Boltz and Debra Halth) all filed the form you see below:

Nunda Township Supervisor of Assessments Statement of Candidacy.

Nunda Township Supervisor of Assessments Statement of Candidacy.

It says they “have been selected to fill a vacancy in nomination for the office of ________.”

That clearly is not the case, because candidate selection is the role that the Republican Primary Election plays.

Compare Jennings’ Statement of Candidacy with that of opponent Mike Walkup, which is below:

Mike Walkup Statement of Candidacy.

Mike Walkup Statement of Candidacy.

Walkup’s form asks that his “name be placed upon the official Republican primary ballot for nomination/election for such office.”

Cate Williams filed on the same form as Walkup.

Asked to comment, Jennings emailed the following:

Regarding the statement of candidacy, yes, our slate has inadvertently used the incorrect form that was downloaded from the county clerk’s web page.

Both our County Clerk and the State Board of Elections have told us that this is not a fatal flaw as it contains the same pertinent information and would not prohibit us from being in the primary even if an objection is filed.

There has also already been some cases where this has gone to court and the objection failed.

I am hoping the other candidates will realize that this would be an expensive and unnecessary cost for the township to bear and would instead opt for a fair and open election process.

In Algonquin Township, Trustee candidate Rachael Lawrence looked at the Statements of Candidate and concluded the following:

The following candidates used incorrect forms:

Charles A. Lutzow (Supervisor)
Richard Alexander (Assessor)
Bob Miller (Hwy Comm.)
Melissa Sanchez-Fisher (Clerk)
Karen Lukasik (Clerk)
Dan Shea (Trustee)
David Chapman (Trustee)
Melissa L. Victor (Trustee)
Terence G. Ferenc (Trustee)

The only candidates who used the proper form were:

Ellen M. Brady (Supervisor)
Andrew Gasser (Hwy Comm.)
Myself, Rachael Lawrence (Trustee)
Scott Taillet (Trustee)
Russell Cardelli (Trustee)


Comments

Statement of Candidacy Discrepancies Bring Early Drama to GOP Township Primaries — 13 Comments

  1. Typical Gov, unneeded extra forms, extra paper work, and a waste of our $$$$.

    So give them the right form to fill out and move on with the game.

  2. Is McClellan consulting for Jennings?

    Seems improper.

    Last I checked she’s not much of a reliable source for anything.

  3. lets not forget when they get real scared they start nit picking the forms oh so and so did not cross a “T”

  4. The real shocker is Township honcho Bobby “the Booby” Miller.

    That loafer has been in Township Road King for many, many years and he doesn’t even know what form to file to keep his do-nothing fatcat perch????

    Really funny!

    I hope he gets the ballot-boot.

    Under ‘Webster’s American Dictionary’, 27th ed., (Doubleday Publishing, NY, 2015)the following illustration is run under “Nepotism”:

    http://www.algonquintownship.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bob-Miller-210×300.jpg

    background info: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/05/11/algonquin-township-road-commissioner-bob-millers-comments-for-the-republican-party-meeting-on-nepotism/

  5. How could anyone in their right mind ever rely on Mary “Jacko Franks’ Local 150 Union Mooks’ Election Robocall benficiary McClellan?

    I LMAO over Miller’s imminent ballot spot denial!

  6. This is responsibility of the township clerk to provide documents and packets for the elections for township so these people who cannot even find the right document it is their problem not someone else’s fault.

    this reminds of walkup who blames everyone accept himself for his own inadequatcies.

    I found the candidates guide and it shows the right document on the clerks website.

    Really this is noting more than some people trying to make something out of nothing.

  7. Why don’t we talk about the fact that you have unqualified candidates running for office like gasser running for highway man and Walkup running because he could not get elected as the chairman

    sounds like these two boys just looking for paycheck.

    Yea Walkup says he will cut pay but not until he collects 4 years of highest salary

    just tirio runs to cut office that he will hold for 4 years.

    Don’t be fooled again

  8. Running for office should be a simple process but it is not.

    Lawyers set the rules to get people to use lawyers (at a price) when running for office.

    The same applies to zoning laws, filing property tax appeals, getting social security disability benefits and on and on and on.

    QUIT ELECTING LAWYERS!!

    Look at the money being paid to lawyers for the Presidential recounts!!

  9. I hope the electorate wakes up and sends the Millers packing.

    I understand Bob (Booby) Miller has hired his wife as the highest paid secretary in township history.

    (I think Booby blamed his father for putting his wife on the payroll.)

    Yet, Anna Mae cashes the big checks over and over.

    Booby hires his two son-in-laws and they get paid in the realm of $90k a year each.

    Plus, Booby even had another Miller be the “recycling specialist”.

    Booby and his clan can’t fill out the right paperwork.

    So I hope someone challenges this boob’s petitions.

    As pointed out in the article the representation of Booby is FALSE!

    It is a sworn statement!

    It seams to me that Booby should not be allowed to benefit by his FALSE statement in his nominating papers.

    Booby appearantly doesn’t know where integrity begins and ends.

  10. For what its worth, the State Board of Elections renders no such opinions.

  11. Ellen M. Brady (Supervisor) does one get to stay on a C.Board when running for another office such as this?

    I agree Stop electing Lawyers… !

    enough is enough there are to many of them already..

    doing to much damage to our community…

    stop the spending!

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