House candidate knocked off ballot

It appears only one candidate's name will appear on February's Republican primary ballot in the 56th District state House race.

"What's fair is fair, and I didn't have enough signatures," said state representative hopeful Charlotte Kegarise. "So better luck next time."

A hearing Monday morning in Chicago revealed Kegarise lacked enough valid signatures on her nomination petition. The Illinois State Board of Elections declared 113 of the signatures invalid, bringing her petition down to 445 valid signatures. Kegarise needed 500.

Before Kegarise is formally removed from the ballot, the elections board will have to certify the decision at its Thursday meeting.

Schaumburg Township Library District Board President Anita Forte-Scott was to have been Kegarise's GOP challenger. Democrat Paul Froehlich holds the seat and will be challenged in the Democratic primary by John Moynihan, a Schaumburg attorney focused on budgetary issues.

Schaumburg's Charles Linkenheld, a former GOP precinct captain, filed the objection against Kegarise on Nov. 13. John W. Countryman, Linkenheld's attorney, said 61 names on Kegarise's nomination petitions were from people not registered to vote and 36 were from voters who didn't live within the 56th District.

It was more than a simple clerical error that made those 97 signatures invalid, Countryman argued.

Kegarise's attorney, Don Laxton, agreed with Countryman and said Kegarise would drop the matter.

Both sides agreed the state board didn't properly notify the candidates about the process, which resulted in Kegarise not being represented at a record check on Thursday in Springfield. Countryman said he attended the check only because he was in the state capital on another matter when the case was called.

Based on the lack of notice, Laxton filed to have the objection dropped. However, retired Judge John E. Morrissey denied that motion, saying Kegarise's presence in Springfield wouldn't have affected the board's actions.

Laxton also argued the state Republican Party wanted to eliminate competition for Forte-Scott, whom local Republicans were supporting. Laxton said Countryman had been dispatched on the whim of the state party.

Countryman responded saying his "hands were clean."

"I'm not in the business of running over people," he said.

Forte-Scott has denied having any direct involvement with the objection. She said she had spoken with Linkenheld but described him only as a supporter angry at Froehlich for defecting from the GOP in June. Linkenheld didn't attend Monday's hearing.

Kegarise, a board member at Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54, denied she was politically connected with Froehlich, who is supported by the state Democratic Party.

"I sure wouldn't have spent all the money and time I've had doing this to be in cahoots with somebody," she said.

The 56th District includes most of Schaumburg and parts of Bloomingdale, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park. Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Roselle.