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Democrats across the city are running for the position of Republican ward committeeman in Chicago in an apparent bid to extend their influence within the party.
In the 23rd ward, which is within Mike Madigan’s state representative district, Robert Handzik has filed as a Republican. Handzik was among those who circulated petitions for Madigan’s fake Republican opponent two years ago. He does not attend county Republican meetings and does not respond to calls or inquiries from the Republican Party.
In the other ward within Madigan’s district, the 13th, an unknown candidate named “Gabriel Trejo” has filed. According to Board of Elections records, Mr. or Ms. Trejo has voted in the Democratic primary in the last four elections and has never voted in a Republican primary.
Of the 25 candidates who have filed as of 12:35 pm, 15 have Democratic voting histories. Nine have voted exclusively in Democratic primaries.
Even among those with recent Republican voting histories, a prior history of Democratic voting is evident.
The reason for this burst of activity is twofold.
First, as one of Pat Quinn’s last acts before leaving office, he and Mike Madigan passed a series of changes to Illinois election law. Among those changes is a new requirement that Republican ward committeeman sign off on election judges in their ward. Prior to the change, election judges could be placed by the Republican County Chairman.
Bruce Rauner used the older law to good effect in the 2014 cycle by funding an effort to put genuine Republican election judges in precincts across the city. The purpose was to control vote fraud in precincts that had previously been controlled exclusively by Democrats. With the new law, Rauner would now need to get the approval of each Republican ward committeeman to place judges in that ward — an impossible task, if the Democrats control the Republican ward committeman seat.
The second reason is that in 2014, the Chicago Republican Party ran candidates for office across the city, forcing Democrats to campaign in districts in which they had never had a challenge. The newly-active Republican Party caused Democrats to spend time and money in the city. Democrat-controlled Republican committeemen can impede that effort and even prevent it in some districts.
The Democrat-controlled Chicago Board of Elections recently made the process for Republican candidates in the city more difficult by quadrupling the signature requirements for Republican ward committeeman. While a Republican candidate in the 43rd ward, for example, only needed 99 signatures in the last cycle, the new requirement is 404 signatures. The rule of thumb is that a candidate should double or triple the minimum number, meaning that a simple ward committeeman slot can require 1,000 signatures. It’s much easier for a well-funded Democrat organization to get this number of signatures than a Republican one in the city.
“We’re fed up with Mike Madigan’s interference in our party,” said Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland. “There is no reason for him to do this, except to use election law to prevent Chicago Republicans from running for office, and to allow vote fraud to flourish.”
Republicans are currently contemplating a legal challenge.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:40 pm
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Hard to feel much sympathy when Rauner’s pals have set up a $20 million fake state Dem party.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:46 pm
Guess, as a Republican, I woykd normally be upset.
Knowing Raunerite ideals like $9 million parked for who knows what in Democratic primaries, I kinda sit back in my chair, smirk at the Raunerite hypocrisy, and wonder aloud, “Aren’t City GOP Committeemen usually up for the highest bidder anyway?”
Rauner isn’t about building the GOP, but reinforcing and strengthening Raunerite Ideals.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:47 pm
Check out some political articles from the Chicago Tribune (available online through the Chicago Public Library). This same basic complaint about Democratic proxies running the local Republican Party have been a constant since 1932.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:49 pm
Whiny and pathetic.
Comment by Always right Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:52 pm
– Republican are currently contemplating a legal challenge?–
To what? I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a “legal” test for being a Republican.
For crying out loud, enough with the whining. You’ve got the biggest bank in the country with Griff and Rauner.
Why don’t you “contemplate” actually building a Chicago Republican Party?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:53 pm
Hopefully the new GOP bosses will get their hands on the new GOPie cash
Comment by Anonin' Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:56 pm
“There are three kinds of threats: Threats, empty threats, and the threat of contemplating a legal challenge.” — Mark Twain (attributed)
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 1:58 pm
—” It’s much easier for a well-funded Democrat organization to get this number of signatures than a Republican one in the city.—”
This is a baseless complaint. IF you have trouble getting signatures, it’s because a)you don’t have the manpower (following) or b) the potential signers disagree with you or your party.
Meh.
Comment by out of touch Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:00 pm
I understand the Chicago GOP being upset. I live in a county that basically doesn’t have a democratic party. If local republicans took it over, I would have a cow. That being said… ha ha!
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:03 pm
“I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a ‘legal’ test for being a Republican.”
Strangely enough, there is, e.g. https://capitolfax.com/2008/05/14/strange-ruling-from-dupage/
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:04 pm
What do you call it?….The pot calling the kettle black? Totally Hilarious GOPies!!
Comment by Big Joe Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:05 pm
Touche’ Rauner!
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:06 pm
@MinsterJayEm
If the legal standard is not voting as a Republican or Democrat in the same election cycle, then the Chicago GOP doesn’t have a case.
Comment by Always right Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:06 pm
Mr.JM, thanks for the link. But I’m not seeing how that electoral board commission applies, or how it can hold bar people from participating changing parties in perpetuity, apparently.
They’re complaining about guys who have circulated petitions for GOP candidates and voted in GOP primaries.
Who, exactly, are they to decide who’s a Republican?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:13 pm
So you’re saying you’re such a weak organization that you can’t muster an organizational effort to beat a shill candidate?
Well, that sums it all up, doesn’t it?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:14 pm
Let’s remember that four years ago the GOP had a quality candidate to run against Alvarez and did nothing at all.
The Chicago GOP needs to learn that they need to get off their behinds and campaign. A nice title means nothing.
Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:15 pm
The job of a party committeeman is to get out the vote for your party, and that’s it. That’s literally the only thing you do.
If a Democrat files for Republican Party committeeman then the actual Republicans should be able to cream that phony Republican at the ballot box, remember the genuine committeeman is the one who is best able to turn out Republican voters in his/her area.
And signature requirements? I have no sympathy for GOTV specialists complaining about petitions. Lest anyone think I’m being this difficult simply because it’s the Republicans complaining this time I’ll tell you that for the last two weeks I’ve been hearing bellyaching from people who want to be Democratic committeemen and I’ve had no sympathy for them either.
All of this should be easily neutralized by people who are any good at doing the things required of a successful committeeman.
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:18 pm
Wordslinger,
I agree.
Even under DuPage County’s bizarro decision, voters would be free to change parties between the general election and the primaries. (Because, if they aren’t free to change at that time, when would they be free to do so? Would they need to sit-out an election cycle? There’s no way that would hold up on appeal.)
Personally, I hope that the Chicago GOP challenges using the DuPage decision so that an actual court of law can have the opportunity to overrule it.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:26 pm
This article is factually incorrect and very misleading in regards to its assertion that the Chicago Board of Elections was responsible for quadrupling the GOP signature requirement for ward committeeman candidates. The signature requirement is set by state law and it applies equally to both Democrats and Republicans. Section 7-10(i) of the Illinois Election Code requires that ward committeeman candidates of BOTH parties must gather signatures of no less than 10% of the number of qualified voters for each individual party within the particular ward. In other words, if there are 1,000 GOP voters in a ward, then a GOP candidate must file at least 100 signatures. If there are 3,000 DEM voters in the same ward, the DEM candidate must file at least 300 signatures. The Chicago Board of Elections has no control over modifying these rules — only the Illinois General Assembly can do that. Also, this state law has not been amended since well before 2011, so it is simply false to say that any change in the signature requirements since the last election cycle was caused by the Chicago Board of Elections. Any increase would have been caused by an increase in the number of Republicans voting in the particular ward.
Comment by Election Attorney Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:33 pm
They’ve seen the IllinoisGO light and are switching parties.
s/
Comment by walker Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:38 pm
Seriously, who on here thinks this is a good thing? We are letting areas of our state to become ruled by one party. That will only allow more corruption to occur. I guess Washington disliking the two-party system was way off in this case. I would not want my party doing this in my local election. It’s disheartening people on here think its just a legal issue, its a moral issue. But who has morals anymore in politics?
Comment by Dudeman Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 2:41 pm
This practice is fraud - and it cries out for a federal civil rights lawsuit. Make these candidates submit to depositions. Imagine deposing under oath the Madigan people who planned all this! Maybe Madigan’s dep too. This would deter future hanky-panky, even if the lawsuit ultimately failed.
Comment by Formerpol Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:03 pm
===and it cries out for a federal civil rights lawsuit===
So, political parties are now a protected federal class?
Are you sure you’re a Republican?
lol
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:12 pm
Rich, I think Chicago Republican “leaders” view themselves more as a very small exclusive private club.
Hence, their record of electoral success.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:17 pm
“Imagine deposing under oath the Madigan people who planned all this!”
Rule 34 of the Internet.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:37 pm
===So, political parties are now a protected federal class?====
The ILGOP actually tried that argument in federal court when the challenged the 2011 remap. They argued that the “Redistricting Plan systematically and intentionally unfairly burdens Republican voters’ rights of political expression and expressive association because of their political views.” The case was summarily dismissed.
Comment by tominchicago Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 3:48 pm
== Chicago GOP cries foul over Democratic interference ==
Gee. Wow.
So how do they explain raunner’s SHAM ‘democrat’ support group? Would love to know.
Comment by sal-says Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:20 pm
Whining or not, it’s definitely interference.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:27 pm
- A guy -,
If/When IllinoisGO gets involved in Dem races, I’ll look toward to your Rauner chastising.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:53 pm
==It’s much easier for a well-funded Democrat organization to get this number of signatures than a Republican one in the city.==
Maybe that’s because your organization stinks.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 4:55 pm
What a pathetic excuse for failed leadership! The Republican candidates had ninety days in which to gather their petition signatures from the voters.
While the new minimums are higher than before, the numbers were not impossible to obtain and the new formula for calculating petition requirements was enacted a year and a half ago.
Comment by Party of Lincoln Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 5:35 pm
If it were Gov. Kirk Dillard making the complaint, I’d have sympathy. For Rauner, I have none. This is simply fighting fire with fire. Not healthy for our politics, I know, but when is Rauner going to govern rather than campaign and play psyop games?
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 6:47 pm
I’d add that we really need competitive political parties statewide. The current escalation, instigated by Rauner, threatens to further balkanize Illinois. I think something major was lost when the Republicans put a stop to partisan labels in Chicago elections; it deprived city Republicans of an important organizational and branding tool, when they thought that’s what they were taking away from Democrats.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 6:49 pm
Rauner is not the one complaining here — it is the Chicago City Chairman of the Republican Party trying to excuse his mediocre managerial performance during the petition circulating process.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 8:44 pm
@Election Attorney:
If you did your homework, you would know that a 1984 Federal Court decision held that the 10% requirement for Chicago ward committeemen was excessive since their Cook County suburban township committeemen counterparts only needed 5%. The court ordered that the minimum need only be 5%.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 8:51 pm
MrJM the Appellate Court did end up deciding that matter https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14716993496294596203&q=thomas+cullerton&hl=en&as_sdt=4,14
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 1, 15 @ 9:31 pm
I would love to see a healthy and vibrant Chicago Republican party, just so the Democrats don’t have a monopoly, which I believe leads to corruption. That said, I voted in the GOP primary last time so that I could vote against Rauner. After that happened, the GOP sent me two letters and made one phone call asking me to be a ward committeeman. This isn’t exactly a difficult process to infiltrate.
Comment by Carhartt Representative Wednesday, Dec 2, 15 @ 8:14 am
@Anon: That doesn’t change the fact that the Chicago Board of Elections was not at all responsible for any change in the signature requirements since the last election cycle, as this article incorrectly asserts. Apparently the governing law has not been changed since 1984, when it was changed by the federal court (not the Board of Elections) to make it easier (not more difficult) for both Republicans and Democrats to get on the ballot for the office of ward committeeman.
Comment by Election Attorney Friday, Dec 4, 15 @ 1:25 pm