A would-be congressional candidate from the North suburbs who has an extensive history of antisemitic social media posts was removed from ballot consideration Tuesday.

Zion resident John Minarcik won’t appear on spring 2026 primary ballots for Illinois’ 10th District seat because he didn’t gather enough petition signatures to qualify, the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled.

Only three people signed Minarcik’s petition, an elections board spokesperson said. Nearly 1,000 signatures were required to qualify in that primary race.

A fellow Democratic candidate, Mundelein’s Morgan Coghill, had formally objected to Minarcik’s petition.

Minarcik couldn’t be reached for comment. His exit from the race leaves Coghill and longtime U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Highland Park as the Democratic candidates.

Highland Park resident Carl Lambrecht is the lone Republican candidate.

Minarcik’s Facebook page is loaded with diatribes against Jews, including calls for their extinction. It also features antisemitic and anti-Israel memes and cartoons.

Coghill said he’s glad “to have prevented a bigot from cheating his way into the race.”

“When we saw what this individual was posting, and how few signatures he actually gathered, we were appalled,” Coghill said Tuesday through a spokesperson. “Our district deserves serious leadership and a campaign worthy of the people who call this place home, not a racist using the election as a stage.”

The 10th District — spanning parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties — has a sizable Jewish population. Schneider, who is seeking a seventh term, is Jewish.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20251118/us-congress-politics/suburban-congressional-candidate-who-posted-antisemitic-views-knocked-off-2026-ballot/