Dear LakeCountyEye,
I'm on the ballot and running for village trustee. I want to win but I don't want to have to campaign. Can you help?
Political Ptak
Dear Faux Joe,
There are two ways to get elected to public office in Illinois. The first way is to work hard, knock on doors and talk to voters, attend public events and meet civic and political leaders, master the issues that are of vital concern to both the voters and governing bodies, and be a tireless advocate for the policies that will best address these issues while serving the voters in a fair and equitable way.
The second way is to file a petition challenge and get your opponent thrown off the ballot.
You strike your LakeCountyEye as a #2 type of candidate. And you've come to the right place for advice!
There are more loopholes for challenging a nominating petition in Illinois than there will be potholes on the Route 53 extension. You may have already read about some recent clever petition challenges on this blog ...
Extraordinary Petition
Your opponent can be knocked off the ballot on the basis of a petition staple, or for owing money to the board they wish to represent, or to anything in between.
But the go-to guy for a petition challenge is LakeCountyEye operative manque, Joe Ptak. Ptak, some may recall, attained national notoriety for being the guy who demanded a Pledge of Allegiance at the Bean/Walsh debate in Grayslake last October:
The Alleged Allegiance
Ptak has not been shy about why he expects to hear a loyalty oath recited by his fellow citizens; and he has a loyal lockstep following, that includes the
McHenryCountyBlog:
There are ignorant people in this land who do not have the slightest idea, nor understand, what it means to be an AMERICAN. Our Liberty, Freedom of Speech and the Press are never guaranteed and we must always fight to maintain them.
Man Who Asked League of Women Voters’ Moderator the Pledge of Allegiance Question Comments
Ptak is now cashing in his political capital, no doubt with hopes of parlaying it into a political career. Now running for Island Lake trustee, Ptak has personally filed a petition challenge against his opponent, Marcy Night. As Ptak personally told the
Daily Herald,
"We want to capture all three seats and take control of the board, which is presently dominated Mayor (Debbie) Herrmann and her three allies," Ptak said. "I was raised in Chicago and we don't want our vote split."
Lake candidates face petitions challenges
So when it comes to getting elected to local office, one could do worse than to emulate joltin' Joe Ptak:
With liberty and justice for all!
If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to
Q the Eye c/o ...
LakeCountyEye@gMail.com