Failure to properly insert page numbers on his nomination petitions will keep Galesburg mayoral candidate Anthony Law off the ballot in the April 2025 Election.
That was the ruling of a three-person ex-officio electoral board during a hearing of the Board of Election Commissioners on Monday in Galesburg City Hall.
Law, who was one of three candidates running for mayor in the April 1, 2025, election, faced two challenges to his petitions — the first filed by Louise Wilder, and the second by Darla Krejci, Jeannette Chernin and Holly McDorman.
According to documents provided to WGIL by Lisa M. Watson, executive director of the Board of Elections, both objections were filed Nov. 25 and claimed Law’s nominating papers were invalid because the signature pages were not numbered, as required by statute.
The electoral board — comprised of Roger Williamson, David Christensen and Veronica Peoples — deliberated for less than 10 minutes Monday before ruling in favor of Wilder’s objection.
Williamson, acting as electoral board chairman, said, “The petition by Mr. Law for having his name on the ballot as candidate for mayor is rejected. The objections filed by Miss Wilder are upheld. The basis for that is Section 10-4 of the Electoral Code makes it clear that any nominating petition must separately and consecutively give the page number of each page of the person’s petition. In this case, the pages were not signed. That being the case, there is no need to go over the case whether or not signatures are proper. Even if all the signatures were proper, we would still have to dismiss the nominating petition of Mr. Law.”
The objection filed by Krejci, Chernin and McDorman was not considered, according to Williamson, because of the ruling in part 1 of Wilder’s objection.
The meeting was attended by approximately 20 people, including the other two candidates running for mayor — incumbent Peter Schwartzman and former mayor John Pritchard.
“Again, I’m not making any excuses, because if that’s the rule, that’s the rule. But numbering the pages? … when you say that out loud, ‘Numbering the pages?’ Come on, now.” — Anthony Law
Law did not attend Monday’s hearing, later telling WGIL his absence was due to meeting conflicts.
Asked if he was aware of the statue requiring the proper number of pages, Law said, “To be quite honest, I put my campaign together in roughly five days. It’s no excuse, but I was running around like crazy, scrambling and trying my best.
“Again, I’m not making any excuses, because if that’s the rule, that’s the rule. But numbering the pages? … when you say that out loud, ‘Numbering the pages?’ Come on, now.
“If that’s the way the system is set up, we need to change. It’d be different if I went to Linwood Cemetery and started forging names on headstones. We’re talking about numbering the pages.”
Board rejects objections to Hunigan candidacy
The meeting started with the same three-person ex-officio electoral board rejecting a pair of objections questioning the candidacy of Second Ward alderman candidate Wendel Hunigan.
Hunigan will thus remain on the ballot as a challenger vs. incumbent Wayne Dennis.
Residents Brad Fell and Perry Darrah filed identical objections on Nov. 25, arguing Hunigan signed a nominating petition for Dennis “and then subsequently filed his own nominating petition sheet for the same candidate position of Ward 2 Alderman. I, also wish to have Mr. Wendell Hunnigan’s (sic) name removed from the ballot for the Consolidated election in April 2025.”
Darrah testified Monday, saying, “It’s simple. I just think a man who endorsed another nominee and then turns around and runs against him is a double standard. Whether there’s a legal right to take him off or not, I just don’t it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think he belong on there.”
Fell was not in attendance.
At the board’s request, Darrah could not provide any part of the election code or appellate court cases that have dealt with his objection.
Hunigan spoke on his behalf, and asked the board to “respectfully override the objections and certify my name on the ballot.
“Nothing in the electoral code prohibits a candidate from signing an opposing candidate’s petition.”
As Hunigan previously told WGIL, he did indeed sign a petition for Dennis, but did not sign his own petition.
Dennis did not attend the hearing.
According to procedures on objections in the Illinois Election Code, the candidate or objector aggrieved by a decision of the board may file a petition for judicial review.
