Single write-in candidate remains in 55th District GOP primary

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Rosemary Mulligan

Updated: March 11, 2012 8:13AM

The ever-changing March 20 Republican primary for the 55th State Representative District is down to one write-in candidate who will need at least 500 votes to advance to the general election in November.

Park Ridge resident Susan Sweeney is now the single write-in candidate in the race after 10-term incumbent Rosemary Mulligan bowed out Jan. 25, followed by newcomer Kelly Schaefer on Feb. 1. Both had filed with the Cook County Clerk’s Office as official write-in candidates.

Mulligan said the 55th District Republican race was shaping up to be a divisive one that would take away her focus from another difficult budget year in Springfield.

“There’s a lot of things I’ve had on my plate that I want to do and do a good job, as opposed to rushing home from Springfield and campaigning every weekend and then going right back,” Mulligan said.

The representative has also expressed frustration and disappointment with the Illinois House Republican Organization¹s decision not to back her in the election.

“I was really not happy with all the gamesmanship that was going on,” Mulligan said. “In talking to friends and family, they basically said, ‘Why are you still doing it?’ And I said, ‘That¹s a good question.’ ”

Mulligan, of Des Plaines, first withdrew from the March 20 Republican primary in early-January after challenges to her nominating petitions were filed with the Chicago Board of Elections and it appeared that her name would be removed from the ballot. She then filed to run as an official write-in candidate, both in the 55th and 20th State Representative Districts. She withdrew from the 20th District race, as well.

Mulligan plans to remain in office until the end of her term in January 2013.

Schaefer, of Park Ridge, said she plans to back political newcomer Sweeney for the Republican nomination.

“A write-in campaign is a very difficult proposition for one candidate, let alone two candidates competing from the same community,” Schaefer said in a written statement. “I felt it was in the best interest of the Republican Party and its voters that we unite to assure that we come away with a new nominee on March 20th. I want the voters to select their nominee for state representative, not local party leaders.”

Schaefer said she met with Sweeney, a substitute teacher, to express support for her write-in campaign.

“We Republicans of the 55th District need to be united in the common purpose of bringing fundamental change to our state government,” Schaefer said in her written statement.

To win the Republican nomination and appear on the Nov. 6 ballot, Sweeney will need at least 500 write-in votes.

If Sweeney does not receive a minimum of 500 write-in votes, the Republican committeemen of the townships within the 55th District will vote to appoint a candidate to appear on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot, said Cook County Clerk¹s Office spokeswoman Courtney Greve. Mulligan, Maine Township¹s Republican committeeman, would have a more-heavily weighted vote because the township makes up the largest portion of the district, Greve said.

Marty Moylan, mayor of Des Plaines, is the only Democratic candidate running for representative of the 55th District, which includes portions of Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village.