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55th House District write-in race down to one in GOP primary
Updated: February 7, 2012 1:14PM
The field of write-in candidates for 55th District state representative has dwindled to just one.
Park Ridge resident Kelly Schaefer, who filed as official write-in candidate for the March 20 Republican primary, announced Feb. 1 that she is withdrawing from the race. Schaefer said she plans to back the remaining write-in candidate, Susan Sweeney, also of Park Ridge.
“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’s announcement came just days after incumbent State Representative Rosemary Mulligan withdrew her own write-in bid. Mulligan, who was elected to 10 terms in the General Assembly, first withdrew from the race after challenges to her nominating petitions were filed with the Chicago Board of Elections and it became likely that her name would be removed from the Republican ballot. She then registered as an official write-in candidate, but opted to drop out of the race altogether Jan. 25.
Schaefer said she met with Sweeney, the only remaining Republican candidate, 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 Clerk’s Office spokeswoman Courtney Greve. Mulligan, Maine Township’s Republican committeeman, would have a more-heavily weighted vote because the township makes up the largest portion of the district, Greve said.
Marty Moylan, the 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.
