Kane County Republicans have won another round in their never-ending ballot battle with local Democrats after the three-member county Electoral Board reaffirmed its decision to remove St. Charles Democrat Martin Maske`s name from the November ballot for county auditor.
If the action Tuesday withstands a promised court appeal by Maske`s attorney, Fred Steffen, Republican William Keck would be unopposed on Nov. 3. Keck won a three-way race in the GOP primary to succeed retiring Republican auditor Gerald Morrow.
Last month, the board threw the names of Maske and recorder of deeds candidate Dorothy Maller off the ballot, ruling that the Democratic Party had supplied insufficient notice of the post-primary meeting that slated them.
Neither ran in March and both were slated by party officials 60 days after that election. A Circuit Court judge last month upheld the Maller decision. It will not be appealed.
After the July 2 ruling, Democrats met again to re-submit Maske`s name, but the all-Republican Electoral Board, consisting of State`s Atty. Gary Johnson, County Clerk Lorraine Sava and Circuit Court Clerk Jan Carlson, ruled that since the vacancy in nomination was never officially filled in May, the second caucus did not come within the required time period for filling a vacancy.
Maske, who left his job as president of a Lockport bank in May, hinted there is information in the auditor`s office that Republicans don`t want a Democratic auditor to see. No Democrat has won election to that office.
”It leads me to believe that the Kane County Republican elite has something to hide; they clearly do not want a Democratic auditor in that office,” Maske said. ”I intend to find out what it is.”
Maske is the husband of Kane County Coronor Mary Lou Kearns, who is one of only a handful of Democrats to be elected to countywide office in county history. She is unopposed for a fifth term.
Republican attorney Paul Lewis scoffed at the idea of a GOP conspiracy.
”If it`s so clear that there is something to hide, I`d ask why Mr. Maske didn`t take out nominating petitions and run in the primary,” Lewis said.
”Then we wouldn`t be here today.”
The board earlier overruled Republican-backed challenges to four Democratic office-seekers: County Board candidates Marcia Ochsenschalager and William Finstrom, state`s attorney candidate Nancy Stoecker and 42nd legislative district candidate Eric Sanders.
