Lots of objections in special filing period judicial contests

Tom Courtney withdrew his bid Monday for the countywide Karnezis vacancy. He had filed, in the meantime, you may recall, for the new Johnson vacancy. He faces a challenge to his nominating petitions in that race as well -- but, then, so too does every other candidate in the race -- every other candidate, that is, except the Democratic Party's slated candidate, Sean S. Chaudhuri.

Actually, Courtney faces two separate challenges in his bid to remain a candidate for the Johnson vacancy. John P. Carroll and Peter Martin Kramer likewise face two challenges in that race. Cassandra Goodrum-Burton faces three separate challenges.

A gentleman by the name of John M. Tervanis is the most prolific challenger of candidates in the Johnson race, challenging the candidacies of Courtney, Goodrum-Burton, Carroll, Kramer, Gregory Raymond LaPapa, Mark A. Lyon, and Bonnie Carol McGrath. Omari Prince has filed challenges to the candidacies of Goodrum-Burton and Carolyn J. Gallagher. Steven M. Laduzinsky has filed additional challenges against Goodrum-Burton and Carroll. Ram Villivalam and Ashish Sen have filed additional challenges against Courtney and Kramer.

Most of the candidates for the Eadie-Daniels vacancy in the 5th Subcircuit also drew challenges yesterday, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections -- but not Jameika Mangum or Associate Judge Leonard Murray. Of course, before ascending to the bench, Judge Murray was himself an election lawyer, so the absence of a challenge to his papers should not be considered surprising.

John C. Ervin, Jr. and Terry Ervin have challenged all the other candidates for the Eadie-Daniels vacancy, namely, Daryl Jones, Mary Alice Melchor, H. Yvonne Coleman, Jo Anne Guilemette, and Celestia Mays. Jahesha Nassim has also filed challenges to the candidacies of Melchor, Coleman, Guilemette, and Mays.

Two of the four candidates for the countywide Palmer vacancy have drawn challenges. Deidre Baumann and Camela A. Gardner are the challenged candidates for this vacancy; Gardner faces two challenges. The Democratic Party's slated candidate, Pat Heneghan, and Susana L. Ortiz are the other two candidates in this race.

Both candidates for the Ponce De Leon vacancy in the 6th Subcircuit will have to survive challenges in order to appear on the March primary ballot -- challenges were filed yesterday to the petitions of both Eulalia "Evie" De La Rosa and Richard A. Lugo.

Filing unopposed provides no guarantee against a ballot challenge: James M. Allegretti, who filed unopposed in the Republican primary for the Mathein vacancy in the 12th Subcircuit, and Thomas William Flannigan, who filed unopposed in the Republican primary for the 12th Subcircuit Kazmierski, Jr. vacancy, both drew challenges yesterday afternoon, according to the ISBE. That's not as nutty as it sounds: If the challenges prove successful, the winners of the Democratic Primary will be as good as elected in March.

No challenges were filed against either of the Democratic candidates for the Mathein vacancy. Associate Judge Marguerite Anne Quinn was the only Democratic candidate drawing a challenge for the Kazmierski, Jr. vacancy.