Illinois Republicans prefer white supremacist over Libertarians in petition challenges

In 2018, Arthur Jones ran as a Republican for Congress from the 3^rd Congressional District in Illinois.

According to The Atlantic, Jones was a member of the National Socialist White People’s Party for eight years, is a Holocaust denier, proudly calls himself a white nationalist, and is a former leader of the American Nazi Party. An actual Nazi was on the ballot in Illinois running for Congress just two years ago. Interviews with him are available online if you can stomach watching them.

Republicans sat there and did nothing in 2018…

Republicans in Illinois didn’t challenge his petitions or call out his legitimacy. They didn’t bother to run someone against him in the primary. They did issue statements denouncing him AFTER he was certified for the general election. Prior to that, they sat on their hands and allowed a Nazi to run under their party name.

…Yet, They’ll Do Anything To Toss Other Choices Off The Ballot

Ballot access laws are set by Democrats and Republicans to keep independents and third parties out of Illinois elections. Those rules make it appallingly difficult for challengers to get on the ballot. In the 3^rd Congressional District, for example, a Republican like Arthur Jones would only need 603 signatures to be on your ballot. Meanwhile, a Libertarian, new party, or independent challenger would need 14,559.

Even when the number of signatures are painstakingly collected, Democrats and Republicans attempt to throw Libertarians and other challengers off the ballot across the state. Their claim? The candidates are not qualified or legitimate.

Libertarians are more pro-freedom and pro-equality than the duopoly

Since 1971, Libertarians have supported gay marriage and overall equality laws. They work to end the drug war that turns our communities into war zones. They’re leaders in the effort to put education in the hands of parents and teachers, not bureaucrats. They fight for health care to be between doctors and patients, not politicians. They’ve long called for an end to no-knock raids and qualified immunity. This is now receiving national attention as needed changes across the country.

Republicans don’t want you to have an alternative in the 6th Congressional District

Yet Republicans don’t believe you should have another choice on your ballot this year in Illinois.

Sean Casten and Jeanne Ives should be debating a third opponent in their race for the 6^th Congressional District, Libertarian Bill Redpath, who turned in over 3,000  signatures to qualify for the ballot. Yet Republicans want to remove Redpath, a Certified Public Accountant, and Chartered Financial Analyst from West Dundee, from the ballot.

How can Republican lawyers in 2020 work to remove a highly qualified business appraiser and supporter of individual rights from the ballot, yet in 2018 sat quietly while a Nazi party member joined their ranks to run alongside their candidates? How would Jeanne Ives feel if she were running alongside Arthur Jones in the same year for Congress?

Republicans in Illinois don’t deserve your support until they clean their own backyard. They certainly shouldn’t be targeting qualified candidates while they allow Nazis to wear their own banner.

Tell Republicans to allow legitimate and qualified candidates like Bill Redpath on the ballot.

Editor’s Note: Jones also ran in the Republican primary in the same Congressional district earlier this year, losing to Mike Fricilone in the primary. He would finish dead last with 10% of the vote.

Brian Lambrecht

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