THE LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) -- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's bid for re-election, as well as his opponents' bids to unseat him, are now in the hands of election judges who have started the process of considering dozens of petition challenges.
The hearings that started Monday at the Chicago Board of Elections offices, 69 W. Washington St., is the latest step in a process that's become one of the most closely-watched in Chicago politics, and could end with one or more candidates being booted from February's ballot.
Election judges formally opened more than 100 cases challenging petitions filed for candidates for alderman, police district council and mayor. But by far the ones attracting the most attention in the crowded 22nd floor conference room were the two challenges against Mayor Johnson: one from the Republican activists known as "Chicago Flips Red," and the other from former State Sen. Rickey Hendon and others.
The room was filled with hearing officers, court reporters, election lawyers, candidates and journalists, as well as some people who were just there to watch, including former Republican Congressional candidate Max Rice.
"There are so many debates on dots on Is and squiggly Ss," said Rice, who added he's been coming to petition challenge hearings since 2018 or so. "I always thought politics was entertaining, and I got what I wished for, and now I kind of regret my wish."
In the Hendon challenge, hearing officer Barbara Goodman signed off on the request for a "records exam," during which election clerks will go through the mayor's petitions to investigate allegations that he filed photocopied petitions, or petitions with a different candidate's name at the top, or petitions signed by people who are not registered to vote in Chicago.
When the mayor filed his signatures on October 23, his team said he turned in 33,000. Hendon, who claims to have spent ten days going over the mayor's petitions with his team, says the total number was under 31,000 ... and of those, fewer than 5,000 are valid. It takes 12,500 valid signatures to get on the mayoral ballot.
Hendon, who supports mayoral challenger Willie Wilson, anticipates that exam will take time: "It'll be three weeks or so ... maybe a month."
The former state senator told reporters after the brief initial hearing that he's in favor of fair elections, and that no one is above the law, saying the mayor's campaign was sloppy and unprepared.
"I don't blame the mayor, I blame his staff," Hendon said. "And he should let some of them go."
The mayor's campaign manager has said they're confident they have enough signatures to withstand any challenges.
Hearings kick off signature challenges for February's election
Hearings kick off signature challenges for February's election
