Ex-GOP chair Shepro files objection challenge on Democrat candidate petition for Nov. 8 ballot

The candidacy of St. Charles resident Linda Robertson as a Democrat in the Nov. 8 general election is being challenged by Kenneth Shepro, former Kane County Republican Chairman.

Following the June 28 primary, Democrat and Republican officials slated candidates for ballot vacancies when there was no candidate in the primary. Robertson was slated to run against incumbent State Rep. Daniel Ugaste, R-Geneva, for the 65th district in the Nov. 8 general election.

Ugaste won his GOP primary, but no candidate filed in the Democratic primary for state representative in the 65th District. Robertson filed papers to be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

But according to Shepro’s five-page petition objection filed Aug. 1, all of Robertson’s nominating papers state she is a candidate in the June 28 primary. Robertson had said volunteers collected more than 1,500 signatures for her, while only 400 were required.

“As the Candidate’s Nomination Papers are late-filed, or purport to nominate her to appear on the ballot for an election that has already occurred, her Nomination Papers are legally insufficient and must be stricken,” Shepro’s objection states.

Signatures for candidates to be slated in November were to be collected starting the day after the primary – which the circulators certified to, according to the objection. The last day to file papers to fill a nomination vacancy was July 25.

Robertson’s circulators collected signatures during the time period for the June 28 primary election, not the period for the Nov. 8 general election, as required by law, so all her nomination papers should be declared void, according to the objection.

Robertson said she was told the June 28 date on the nominating papers was a vacancy for the Nov. 8 election and that she was being slated for it.

“We got signatures the day after the primary and that was the petition form … from the clerk’s office,” Robertson said.

The objection to remove her from the ballot shows how afraid Republicans are of her candidacy, Robertson said.

“As far as I’m concerned, they don’t want to give women a choice in Kane County,” Robertson said.

But Shepro, who said he has been an election lawyer and represented both Democrats and Republicans alike, said that is not the case.

The issue is that candidates are required to follow the law when filing their nominating papers, he said.

“If you don’t like the law – change the law, repeal the law – don’t ignore the law,” Shepro said.

“And if you’re a candidate, especially for the General Assembly – where you are voting on making laws – and you can’t even figure out the right form to use, and do it wrong consistently – what does that say about your ability to be somebody who’s writing laws you expect other people to follow?”

Shepro’s challenge is one of 20 pending with the State Board of Elections, all of which will be heard Tuesday morning, according to the website, www.elections.il.gov.

Attorney Mike Griffin will represent Robertson and attorney John Fogarty will represent Shepro in the hearing.

If Shepro’s objection is successful and Robertson is removed from the Nov. 8 ballot, she still has the option of running as as a write-in.