County Board Independent Challenge

Here's a follow up with a few more details of the challenge to the independent candidate for County Board District 4, Cathy Emanuel. She's challenging incumbent Republican Jim McGuire (more on that here). From Tom Kacich's local politics roundup in the News-Gazette yesterday:

Emanuel on the ballot

Cathy Emanuel, whose petitions to run as an independent candidate for the Champaign County Board were challenged, has won the right to run in the November general election. She will challenge Republican Jim McGire in District 4, which includes parts of southwest Champaign and the rural and suburban parts of southwestern Champaign County.

A challenge to her petitions was withdrawn last week after she presented affidavits proving the validity of 18 signatures.

"The voters signed the affidavits confirming their signatures and so that brought me to the number I needed for the 529 signatures to get on the ballot," Emanuel said.

After having collected the signatures originally, Emanuel said she went back to the voters to ask them to sign the affidavits.

"They were amazingly cooperative and supportive of it," she said. "Some of the voters were pretty indignant. They said, 'Wait a minute. I've been voting at this address for 15 years. Why am I being challenged?'"

Emanuel said she paid about $1,800 for legal representation in her appearance before the county electoral board, which handled the appeal.

"I'm pleased that I'm going to be on the ballot and that there will be one more choice, and now we go forward," she said.

Full roundup article here.