A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections block independent candidate Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez from the ballot in the 4th Congressional District contest to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.
The recommendation determined Sigcho-Lopez did not gather enough valid signatures to make the November ballot. The decision is not final, but undermines Sigcho-Lopez’s candidacy just days after another election judge made a similar recommendation for fellow independent candidate Mayra Macías.
If both recommendations hold, García’s handpicked successor, Democratic nominee Patty García, would have a much clearer path to victory in the Nov. 3 general election.
Sigcho-Lopez said he had expected the recommendation, but nonetheless called it “an attack on democracy.”
“It seems like this process has been rigged from the very get-go,” he said. “Anybody with any kind of common sense would tell you that we clearly have enough petitions to stay on the ballot.”
The Pilsen alderman representing the 25th Ward, known for his left-wing politics and forceful speeches, called on the board to reject the recommendation. The board is set to meet Tuesday. The board’s agenda revealed that the board’s general counsel, Marni M. Malowitz, also recommended Macías not be allowed on the ballot, but did not include any recommendation for Sigcho-Lopez.
The board’s general counsel is also expected to share further recommendations before the meeting.
Hearing officer attorney Barbara Goodman determined Sigcho-Lopez did not have the 10,816 valid signatures required by state law for independent candidates. His signatures were challenged by objectors tied to both Garcías. Patty García is the congressman’s former chief of staff but is not related to him.
After Sigcho-Lopez was given a brief window to prove the validity of the almost 8,000 challenged signatures, he came up about 1,200 signatures short, Goodman determined.
The recommendation is the latest turn in the 4th Congressional District race, which began when Patty García secured the Democratic nomination after the outgoing congressman announced his retirement just as signatures were due to make the primary ballot. She was the only candidate who was made aware of his decision with enough time to collect signatures.
The maneuvers sparked criticism and independent bids. Then individuals tied to the congressman and Patty García challenged the petition signatures of Macías and Sigcho-Lopez, who argued that, while legal, the challenges amounted to strong-arm tactics that disenfranchise voters and harm the outgoing congressman’s progressive reputation.
The recommendation comes as new federal campaign finance records show Patty García is in a tough fundraising competition with Macías, Sigcho-Lopez and a third independent candidate, Lyons Mayor Chris Getty.
Patty García raised $88,600 in the last quarter. She’s raised more than $358,700 throughout the campaign and had nearly $185,500 on hand as the month of July began. Her campaign declined to comment on the fundraising haul or the signature challenges.
Macías’ fundraising efforts slowed dramatically. She raised $78,400 in April, May and June, and had about $70,700 on hand at the start of the month. She’s raised $306,100 overall.
Sigcho-Lopez also reported a smaller haul during the past three months — $33,700 in the quarter, after raising $182,000 since the start of the campaign. He only had $23,600 in cash on hand at the start of July.
Getty, who had not previously reported any fundraising, led the quarter with $188,200 raised and had $131,600 on hand at the start of the month.
The suburban mayor had previously focused exclusively on making the ballot and has since shifted his attention to fundraising, he said. Asked why he did not face any signature challenges himself, he said he had only filed “high-quality signatures of registered voters that live in the district.”
“You can file 30,000 signatures, but unless they live in the district and they’re registered to vote and they’re a qualified signer, it’s really meaningless,” he said. “If there was an opportunity for them to knock us off the ballot or challenges, they would have.”
Macías said her fundraising shrank because she needed to focus on the ballot challenge. But she noted that she nonetheless almost outraised Patty García.
“The fact that I would have outraised her had I not been focused on collecting affidavits (to verify petition ballot signatures) makes me wonder what is she doing to reach voters, how is she campaigning, how is she proving that she is the best representative for this community when numbers are telling a different story?” Macías asked.
She said she is considering creating a civic-minded political action committee with her leftover campaign funds if the board strikes her from the ballot. The Sigcho-Lopez recommendation is “very frustrating,” she added.
“It just confirms what so many voters told me, which is that the system is rigged,” she said.
For his part, Sigcho-Lopez said he, too, had turned his focus from fundraising to keeping his spot on the ballot in recent weeks. But smaller fundraising means little to his campaign, he said.
“I represent the working people; we’re not going to compete; we’re being outspent two-to-one,” he said. “We don’t need to raise an exorbitant amount of money to get our message out.”
If the recommendations hold, only the two Latino and progressive independents will be struck, he said.
“This is clearly unfair and shameful, that they have anointed a candidate and that they could not beat us on the ballot because they know how (Democratic Socialists of America) has been rising,” he said.
Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Royal Pratt contributed.
