Illinois third parties are in weekend time crunch to meet filing deadline

SPRINGFIELD (Heartland Newsfeed) — It is crunch time this weekend as third party candidates assemble their petition packets leading to the final day of candidate filing for the November 6 general election as Illinois voters are in much anticipation as to who will be facing off against incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner and Democratic opponent J.B. Pritzker. A candidate filing by Mary A. Vann-Metcalf was received Tuesday afternoon by the Illinois State Board of Elections in the gubernatorial race as an independent. No running mate was formally announced in the filing. Vann-Metcalf also filed for state comptroller. Expected to file in Springfield Monday morning are the Libertarian Party of Illinois slate of gubernatorial candidate Grayson “Kash” Jackson, running mate Sanj Mohip, attorney general candidate Bubba Harsy, secretary of state candidate Steve Dutner, comptroller candidate Claire Ball and treasurer candidate Mike Leheney. Additionally filing are General Assembly candidates John Mathey and Thadeus Freed. Other independent candidates running for governor — state senator Sam McCann and perennial candidate William “Doc” Walls — may be filing on Monday as well, but it is not certain whether they or Vann-Metcalf will survive potential challenges from the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Not filing petitions Monday will be former Constitution Party candidate William J. Kelly, who had his nomination stripped for not complying with the conditions of his nomination, namely becoming a member of the Illinois affiliate of the party. Kelly bowed out of the race June 5, endorsing McCann in a press statement. A brief challenge period will follow and run for about a week ending before the Independence Day holiday. Those surviving a challenge will be on the ballot in November’s general election.