The Green Party slated Iain Abernathy for congress in the 8th congressional district against U.S. Representative Melissa Bean, the Democratic Party incumbent and Republican Steve Greenberg.

Abernathy had previously been the announced candidate for the Moderate Party put together by Bill Scheurer. That party’s primary platform plank opposed the Iraq War. Moderate Party candidate Scheurer exceeded the 5% vote threshold in his 2006 run against Bean and Republican David McSweeney. That meant the party become a so-called “established party,” meaning it could slate candidates.

But apparently no one ran for precinct committeeman.

The process for slating candidates has precinct representatives from each county (or at least one) in a congressional district meeting to name a congressional candidate.

After Randi Scheurer, Bill Scheurer’s wife, lost the Democratic Party primary to Bean, the 2006 candidate urged his 8th congressional district party to join the Green Party.

The Greens slated Abernathy.

Then, a challenge was filed by Gregory Ferritto, 2219 Ninth Street in Winthrop Harbor, to the legitimacy of Abernathy’s slating for the Green Party nomination is pending before the State Board of Elections. It is pending.

The challenge is based on there being no elected precinct committeemen in Lake County, although there are in McHenry and elected township and ward committeemen in Cook. The argument seems to be that the committee needed to have elected committeemen from all counties in the district in order to nominate Abernathy. From what I can understand, prior decisions in a case like this (and other similar challenges to Green Party candidates) do not exist.

Here’s what Abernathy has to say about the challenge on his blog:

Before the primary I filed my papers to be in the Moderate Party primary. The grossly misnamed Democratic Party filed an objection because I did not meet the signature requirements. This is no great surprise as the two major parties have built a system to exclude everyone but themselves.

The Green Party, however, slated me as their candidate for the general election in November. This is allowed in Illinois election law, and was done in accordance with the law. Now, the same Democrat stooge, Gregory Ferritto, has filed another objection with the Illinois Board of Elections. This was clearly done to harass me and take resources away from my campaign. Neither the party nor the individual has any honor.

Mr. Ferritto, if you do not hate democracy I call on you to apologize for your shameful actions. I am an honest working person, unlike the Democratic candidate for whom you sold your soul. I will actually have an impact on my job for me to take time off to fight it. I suspect you know this and don’t care. Your candidate doesn’t actually do her job except when there are campaign dollars involved. If you believe in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people you will go to Springfield and argue that I should be on the ballot in November. Of course, we know that you will not do this. You are not a man but a mouse. (my apologies to mice)

Abernathy’s petitions were picked up by Kevin Fanning, 520 S. 2nd St. Springfield.

16th congressional district Green Party candidate Scott Summers’ petitions were successfully challenged by a Barrington Hills contributor of Democratic Party congressional candidate Robert Abboud. Summers was slated by a committee of elected Green Party precinct committeemen. His slated candidacy drew no challenge.