Like Lazarus coming back from the dead, McHenry Republican candidacies for Township Trustee and Clerk regained ballot access in short meetings of various McHenry Township Electoral Boards Thursday morning.

The candidacies of the five Republican candidates, selected by caucus, had been previously terminated by Electoral Boards.

They were

• Dan Aylward – Clerk
• Mike Rakestraw – Trustee
• Bill Cunningham – Trustee
• Stan Wojewksi – Trustee
• Bob Anderson – Trustee

Hearings on the challenges to the Independent candidates, most of whom were appointed as and because they were members of the Republican Party, but who did not participate in the GOP Caucus, were supposed to be heard today.

Something happened, however, since Monday to convince both sides that it would be best to allow the fight to take place at the April 4th election.

To review what McHenry County Blog has been reporting, petition challenges were filed by

• Republicans against Independents
• Independents against Republicans
• Democrats against Republicans
• Republicans against Democrats

Prior to today, the challenges of Republicans against Democrats and Democrats against Republicans had been dismissed.

The Republican petition challenge was dismissed on lack of evidence; the Democratic Party’s was dismissed because the complainant was not in attendance when his petition was called.

Township Supervisor Craig Adams was the point man filing challenges against all of the Republican candidates.

Hearings concluded in a 2-1 vote to kick the GOP Trustee candidates off the ballot.

Adams and public member David Stone voted for that action, while public member Steve Haugh voted in opposition.  You can read the rationale here.

The arguments Adams used against GOP Clerk candidate Dan Alyward can be found here.

Two of Adams running mates, along with public member David Stone, comprised the Alyward Electoral Board–Trustees Gary Barla and Neal Shepler.

As of Friday, after the Clerk and Trustee candidates lost ballot access the Republican Party’s slate consisted of two people

• Steve Verr for Supervisor
• Steve Koerber for Road Commissioner

At the beginning of a series of very short hearings, Township Attorney James G. Militello III announced,

“All objectors have come to agreement that all objections will be withdrawn.”

Then there were a series of short meetings where motions were quickly passed.

Now the Republican slate is back to full strength, minus a candidate for Assessor against incumbent Mary Mahady.

The Independents were spared going though petition challenges, which, based on past decisions, one might suspect their running mates would have dismissed.

Subpoenaed items included video of the township offices which would have shown whether certain filings were at 11:55 AM or 11:55 PM.  Both appeared and one the PM one was characterized as a “typo.”

That and other potentially damaging testimony now won’t go on the public record.

That means the Independents‘ slate is the following:

Supervisor – Craig Adams
Assessor – No candidate
Road Commissioner – James Condon
Clerk – Marsha Nelson
Trustees –

• Garla Barla
• Neal Schepler
• Sue Draffkorn
• Craig Wallace

Democrats on the ballot will be

Supervisor – No candidate
Assessor – Mary Mahady
Road Commissioner – No candidate
Clerk – Judith Gottlieb
Trustee

• Mary Ellen Shine
• Sue Miller
• Robert Beltran
• Luis Eric Aquilar