Chicago mayoral petition challenges spark anger
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Election official Barbara Goodman (left) oversees a Monday hearing challenging Mayor Brandon Johnson nominating petitions as he prepares to run for reelection. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The election season bloodsport known as petition objections began this week with accusations flying and rare challenges to a sitting Chicago mayor.
Why it matters: This quadrennial process could greatly narrow the field of mayoral and aldermanic candidates.
- But it also reflects a legacy of complicated rules that appear designed to favor those with established campaign structures, making the challenges to Mayor Brandon Johnson all the more noteworthy.
How it works: To enter the race, mayoral candidates need 12,500 valid signatures from registered voters who have not signed another mayoral candidate's petition.
- That's way more than New York (3,750) and Los Angeles (500).
The big picture: Objectors have filed challenges against 12 of the 16 people seeking mayoral candidacy and at least eight current members of the Chicago City Council.
- The person filing the challenge often declines to reveal whether a candidate has backed the effort.
The intrigue: Johnson is facing two challenges. One is led by former state Sen. Rickey Hendon, who the Sun-Times reports is working for candidate Willie Wilson. The other is from conservative group Chicago Flips Red, advised by activist Jessica Jackson.
- The last time a sitting mayor's petitions were challenged was in 2007, when Mayor Richard M. Daley emerged unscathed.
- Challengers claim Johnson's submissions contain photocopies and petitions for other candidates.
What they're saying: "The [number of Johnson's signatures] we found valid were 4,974, very short of the 12,500 he would need," Hendon told Axios Monday, adding that his team used "20 humans" and AI to comb through the mayor's 30,000-plus signatures.
Yes, but: Jackson is demanding Johnson's disqualification regardless of his signature count, "because, as a sitting mayor, he's 100% familiar with the process. He knows exactly what it entails…So what we saw was a pattern of cheating with voting."
- She says she'll turn to the U.S. Justice Department and President Trump if her group's demands are not met.
The other side: Johnson's campaign did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
Challenges to women candidates: Candidate Zoe Ma showed up Monday to face a challenge by Jade C. Greenwood, whom she believes was hired by candidate and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
- "He's threatened by a little Chinese woman, when he has $22 million dollars in his war chest," she told Axios, noting that Greenwood is also challenging Lisa Nee. "To just challenge women candidates is kind of misogyny."
- Giannoulias' campaign did not respond to Axios' questions about potential involvement in the Nee and Ma challenges.
What's next: The process will continue through mid-December, but the first announcement of potential removals could happen as soon as Nov. 24.