Time ticking to fill Cullerton's state Senate seat before primary election deadline
Democratic leaders in the state's 23rd Senate district are working to find a replacement for Sen. Thomas Cullerton with just 20 days remaining until candidates must submit petitions to appear on the June primary ballot.
Cullerton resigned Wednesday as his lawyers indicated he intends to change his plea involving corruption charges against him.
"To find 2,000 signatures before the March 14 deadline, that's very hard," said Dianne Hewitt, Lisle Township Democratic Organization chair and township supervisor.
The Illinois State Board of Elections requires at least 650 signatures but accepts up to 2,000, a figure candidates often strive for to ensure padding in case invalid signatures are found and removed.
Hewitt said Cullerton's resignation came as no surprise, but it would have been ideal if he had announced his plans much earlier.
Cullerton, who has held his seat since 2013, was indicted in 2019 and pleaded not guilty to 39 counts of embezzlement. He is accused of getting paid nearly $275,000 in salary and benefits from the Teamsters, with no work to show for it. He has not returned requests for comment.
The state constitution requires that the seat be filled within 30 days by appointment of the local political party. In this case, the DuPage County Democrats will determine his replacement.
They are to make public the names of the members of the search committee and provide information on how people interested can add their names for consideration.
Hewitt said it's possible for party leaders within the 23rd Senate district to choose a person as a placeholder who will complete the term ending in January 2023. If no candidate runs in the primary, she said, the party will go through another search to "slate a candidate" for the November general election.
DuPage County Democrats stated in an email they are not prepared at this time to comment on their next steps but will soon release a statement that is "comprehensive and exact."