Rivals aim to knock Johnson off ballot with petition challenge

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faces a formal challenge to his election petitions from at least one mayoral rival. The contest is set to test the validity of the more than 33,000 signatures Johnson submitted to the Chicago Board of Elections earlier this week. If the challenge succeeds, it will be the first time a sitting mayor has had to defend his ballot access through the board's hearing process.

The primary point of contention involves nearly 100 pages of photocopied signatures. Chicago law mandates that petition signatures be original and explicitly prohibits the use of photocopies. Johnson's petition includes these copies alongside five pages of signatures from City Treasurer Melissa Conyears Ervin. These details form the basis for the argument that some of the submitted signatures should not count toward the 12,500 valid signatures required for candidacy.

Rickey Hendon, a former State Senator working on the Willie Wilson campaign, called the use of Xerox copies a major issue. "If you got a thousand signatures in the Xerox, you should lose them," Hendon said. A spokesperson for Johnson's campaign acknowledged that a few photocopies might have slipped in. The spokesperson expressed confidence that Johnson will retain enough valid signatures to stay on the ballot despite the administrative hurdles.

The petition system requires each valid signature to come from a registered voter who has not signed another petition during the nominating period. Johnson's team believes the archaic nature of the system will not eliminate the margin of valid signatures they possess. The spokesperson noted that the mayor will have more than enough to withstand any challenge filed by opponents.

Other candidates in the 16-person field also face potential challenges to their petitions. Jesse Maronto has already announced a write-in campaign after failing to reach the 12,500-signature threshold. Danielle Carter Walters filed 13,500 signatures, but only 1,000 of those need to be stricken for her to lose ballot access. Carter Walters was unavailable for an interview on Thursday.

Election attorney Burt Odelson estimates that the number of candidates making the ballot could drop to between eight and ten. Challenges to the petitions are due to be filed on Monday, October 29. The board will review the submissions to determine which candidates meet the legal requirements for the election.

The hearing process will determine if Johnson and other candidates must return to collect new signatures or proceed to the general election. The outcome depends on the board's assessment of the originality and uniqueness of the submitted documents.