Wilcox Summarizes First Day of Reinert Petition Challenge

Here is an email that arrived today from McHenry County Board member Craig Wilcox about Steve Verr’s challenge to McHenry County Board member John Reinert’s petitions for the State Senate seat both are seeking:

Craig Wilcox

Wanted to provide a summary recap as we head to Springfield for day 2 of the Records Exam:

More than 250 signatures were sustained as invalid in the first 100 petitions of John Reinert during day 1 records examination

As we approach day 2 of the records exam, we are confident another 110 to 120 high probability invalid signatures (Out of District & Not Registered Voters) will be sustained in the second 100 petitions of John Reinert, that are not part of the DeMarcus petitions

That then leaves the 840 DeMarcus McDaniels signatures to be hotly debated, but when State Board of Election staffers are laughing and joking “Do you think we will find this name in the state records?” and even the John Reinert campaign watchers are lambasting the candidate for paying for such crappy signatures, one has high hopes.

It is quite possible the entire objection process will leave the Reinert campaign with fewer than 850 valid signatures. More to come tonight.


Comments

Wilcox Summarizes First Day of Reinert Petition Challenge — 19 Comments

  1. Of course the NWH (ie. “Daily Franks”) has yet to cover this story.

    They just reported today on the Rep. Reick petition effort to get the Governor to veto the Franks Power Grab Act which was reported here a month ago.

    They only ran a story on the Pam Palmer December 5th resignation letter the other day, which was reported here three weeks ago.

    I guess the “Sunshine Blogger” is performing a useful service.

  2. This is probably naive, but why would Wilcox be involved with the challenge? Seems like it is Verr’s challenge. If it is Wilcox’s challenge, I’ll be looking for someone else to vote for. #BallotchallengesRlame.

  3. **Of course the NWH (ie. “Daily Franks”) has yet to cover this story.**

    *eye roll* – its not a story yet. Lets see what the final result is, and then its maybe a story. But early on in the process of a petition challenge? Definitely not a story.

  4. Hmmmmmmmm, Interesting question Watching.

    Maybe because Wilcox has the most at stake after RINO-ert.

    But here’s a question for you: Why did Reinert or his mentor & financier, Pamela Althoff, sitting RINO Senator, PAY and IMPORT this poor, misunderstood hoodlum in the first place???:

    https://bailbondcity.com/illinois/cook-inmate-MCDANIELS/16779334

    This is standard practice, I know, in Crook County politics, but kinda new here. I guess it comes with all the section 8 voucher relocatees to the County that Althofd says isn’t happening, BUT IS!

  5. I cannot comprehend the local Republican Party here. It is like the old guard do everything in their power to destroy the future of our party. Reinert is Rauner.

    I for one do not want some lump in Springfield.

    Craig Wilcox is an honorable man, retired USAF officer, and our best county board member. We should send him to Springfield and tell the establishment to take their cook county BS somewhere else.

  6. It’s so sad so much real news is kept from us.

    This blog is great!

  7. Will the NWH simply bury the story by only releasing via email?

    Real. Local. News. From the Northwest Herald
    What are we watching for 2018?
    Welcome to the Northwest Herald’s McHenry County Board newsletter. Each Friday, reporter Ed Komenda (@ejkomenda on Twitter) will provide exclusive content from what he’s been reporting, seeing and hearing from the county board members.

    It’s the last week of the year. That means all is quiet on the McHenry County Board front.

    But there are a few rumblings worth noting before 2018 is upon us. Here are some things people are talking about this week in McHenry County.

    Is John Reinert on his way out?

    The McHenry County Board member is now gunning for the 32nd District Senate seat, slated to to square off against Democrat Mary Mahady and Republican Craig Wilcox for a seat held by Pam Althoff for four terms.

    Though he filed his petitions and signatures in November to make his run official, Steven Verr, the head of the Republican Party in McHenry Township, recently stepped forward and objected to his filing.

    Verr, who was involved in one of the closest and most fervent races ever recorded in McHenry County, claims some of the petitions are forgeries.

    Although some McHenry County insiders say Verr’s objection is a veiled attempt to knock Reinert off the ballot to allow his Republican opponent Craig Wilcox to run unopposed, others are hearing rumblings that the objection has more weight than we originally thought.

    Insiders say Reinert hired a firm to collect petitions, and some of those petitions may be questionable. Reinert and officials with the Illinois Board of Elections could not be reached for comment Thursday.

    Could Reinert be on his way out? The Northwest Herald will be keeping an eye on this in the new year.

    A new auditor?

    McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer has announced her retirement, citing her own health problems and a need to take care of her elderly parents. The 60-year-old auditor’s retirement is effective Jan. 5, according to a letter Palmer wrote to McHenry County Board members.

    Even though the vacancy isn’t open yet and the county hasn’t solicited people to submit their resumes yet, word is Shannon Teresi, part of the Grafton Township Republican Party and Palmer’s financial reporting manager, is planning to throw her hat in the ring.

    More McHenry County Board related coverage:

    State Rep. Steve Reick is hosting an online petition to gather signatures to fight a bill he said would increase McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks’ power.
    GET LOCAL NEWS YOU TRUST. SUBSCRIBE FOR 56 PERCENT OFF TODAY.
    Click here to manage your email subscriptions.
    Shaw Media PO Box 250, Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0250

  8. Rick, I can’t for the life of me figure out why someone would pay someone to get signatures. They did not need that many signatures, and could have collected them by themselves with the slightest of effort. That being said, I can’t get my head around “hiring” someone with a colorful background to get your signatures for you. Are you trying to make headlines?

    Lastly, someone said that that Reinert was “disrespecting” the process (what ever that means): Hey pal, this is Illinois, the reason we are in the present swamp is because nearly every political process in Illinois, could have reasonably been crafted by a mafioso. To suggest the election system is rigged, is quaint. It should be a $100 fee to get on the ballot for anything, gathering petitions is a silly way to attempt to sift out candidates. Let the ballot be free and open. That’s why I suggested that if Wilcox (who I like) is behind a ballot challenge, that seriously makes me rethink who to vote for.

    My guess here is that the Reinert challenge fails. But that is just a guess. I saw him collecting signatures personally on two occasions.

  9. Reinert has surrounded himself with people that lack integrity and this is the result. Many will be watching how this shakes out and the players involved.

  10. The objectors are banking on the entirety of the DeMarcus (is the “De” silent?) petitions being thrown out for fraud.

    Numerous names, in some cases of prominent local people, are listed without those people having signed and with signatures that are not even close.

    If there is enough fraud involved, the Election Board can decide to throw out everything collected by that circulator rather than try to slog through them.

    That takes out over 800 signatures which, combined with what has already been stricken for other reasons, leaves the petition short.

  11. Who is this lunatic reporter at the NWH?

    “Although some McHenry County insiders say Verr’s objection is a veiled attempt to knock Reinert off the ballot to allow his Republican opponent Craig Wilcox to run unopposed, others are hearing rumblings that the objection has more weight than we originally thought.”

    The objection is hardly ‘veiled,’ it’s a full scale frontal attack on Chicago style corruption reaing its ugly head out hear, in supposedly GOP country.

    Who the hell are these mystery ‘insiders’… and ‘others’ ….. If the Hearld had bothered to look into the matter, they would have easily seen the creepiness and criminality of the Reinert ‘campaign’ … yet the rag won’t put a thing into its dead-wood ‘fakenewspaper’ just this electronic ‘newsletter.’

    I cancelled out my subscription years ago

  12. Ditto Swordfish. Losers, all – candidate, supporters, bankrollers, campaign pictures with chumps beaming at their chosen candidate! and the NWH who comes up short every time.

    Go Wilcox; Bye Bye Reinert.

    Happy New Year 2018.

  13. Wrong you are, Poopy.

    Wilcox is a FIGHTER and a relentless worker and very knowledgeable putting others to shame.

    Give me one good reason why Wilcox isn’t a good candidate!?

    (you must be that awful McH. Twnsp Tax assessor who’s running on the Democrat ticket for this seat!

  14. I’m not.

    Wicox a fighter?

    To understand basics of Roberts rules…

    The basics of forming a coherent thought.

    Another boisterous tea partier.

    All sizzle no steak.

  15. 2018poop: That statement is factually inaccurate, or at least unsupported by factual reference as yet.

    Steak, we may take to mean meat, is the factually verifiable fraudulent signatures on nomination petitions of opponent.

    Further, though voters may not predict future actions of political candidates (which argues for a human-proof governance system such as that presently developing through DAO block-chain tech), Wilcox has proven his integrity in ways untested by his opponent.

    Your assertion has no credibility without factual supportive data.

  16. ‘Watching’, yes you are very naive.

    Craig Wilcox is involved because it’s his race to lose.

    It’s the duty of the candidate to scrutinize his/her opponents petitions.

    He’s probably the one catching a lot of these stupid and fraudulent signatures!

    That’s exactly the kind of guy I’m gonna vote for!

    You’re an idiot and so is anyone else who is supporting Reinert!

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