County candidates begin campaigns with flurry of challenges

4 Yesterday was the final day for candidates running for office in Cook County to challenge opponents’ petitions or withdraw from the race. The biggest news, of course, was U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-primary-ballot-10-nov10,0,504782.story">backed out </a>of the race for Todd Stroger's job, citing the need for party unity. Then a flurry of high-profile challenges emerged, most notably with Clerk of Courts Dorothy Brown challenging the petitions of County Board President Todd Stroger. In all, 24 candidates are being challenged, and two – Davis and County Assessor Candidate Andrea Raila – dropped their bids for county office. There are 62 Democrats running, 23 Republicans and 14 Green Party members vying to stay afloat in the Feb. 2 primary elections. All the races feature incumbent candidates, except the 12th district commissioner spot, vacated by Commissioner Forrest Claypool, and the Cook County Assessor’s office, which is currently held by the retiring James Houlihan. Behold, the candidates: The petitions of candidates with (C) next to their names are being challenged. Cook County Board President Democrats <ul> <li>Todd Stroger (incumbent) (C)</li> <li>Clerk of Courts Dorothy Brown (C)</li> <li>MWRD President Terrence O’Brien</li> <li>Ald. Toni Preckwinkle</li> </ul> Rep. Danny Davis withdrew his nomination Republicans <ul> <li>John Garrido III</li> <li>Roger Keats</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Thomas Tresser</li> <li>Sean Burke (C)</li> </ul> 1st District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Earlean Collins (incumbent)</li> <li>Mary Collins (C)</li> <li>Chris Harris (C)</li> <li>Oddis ("O.J") Johnson (C)</li> <li>Adekunle "Ade" B. Onayemi</li> <li>Derrick Smith</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Ronald Lawless</li> </ul> 2nd District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Frank M. Bass (C)</li> <li>Dennis Beninato</li> <li>George Blakemore (C)</li> <li>Erold Elysee</li> <li>Robert B. Steele (incumbent)</li> <li>Desiree Grode</li> <li>Robert Palmer (C) </li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Michael Smith (C)</li> </ul> 3rd District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Jerry “Iceman” Butler (incumbent)</li> <li>Ronald Oliver</li> <li>Monica Torres-Linares</li> </ul> 4th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>William M. Beavers (incumbent)</li> <li>Denise Dixon (C)</li> <li>Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (C)</li> <li>Karen W. Sommerfield (C)</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Joseph A. Barton</li> </ul> 5th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Deborah Sims (incumbent)</li> <li>Sheila Y. Chalmers-Currin (C)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Miriam Shabo</li> <li>James Thigpen</li> </ul> 6th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>John Fairman</li> <li>Joan Patricia Murphy (incumbent)</li> <li>Nick Valadez</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Sandra K Czyznikiewicz </li> <li>Michael Hawkins </li> <li>William R. Moran</li> </ul> 7th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Jesus G. Garcia (C)</li> <li>Joseph Mario Moreno (incumbent)</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Paloma Andrade</li> </ul> 8th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Edwin Reyes (incumbent)</li> <li>Omar N. Lopez</li> <li>Javier "Xavier" Nogueras</li> <li>Ariel Rosa</li> </ul> 9th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Cary Capparelli</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Peter N. Silvestri (incumbent)</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Brock Merck</li> </ul> 10th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Bridget Gainer (incumbent)</li> <li>Kevin W. Graham (C)</li> </ul> 11th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>John P. Daley (incumbent)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Carl Segvich</li> </ul> 12th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>John A. Fritchey</li> <li>Ted Matlak</li> </ul> 13th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>John Michael Keefe</li> <li>Larry Suffredin (incumbent)</li> </ul> Republican <ul> <li>Linda Thompson LaFianza </li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>George E. Milkowski</li> </ul> 14th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Jennifer Bishop Jenkins</li> <li>Patrick O'Donoghue</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Gregg Goslin (incumbent)</li> <li>Kurt "Ike" Eichaker (C)</li> </ul> 15th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Jim Steven Dasakis</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Timothy O. Schneider (incumbent)</li> </ul> 16th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Eddy Garcia </li> <li>Bill Russ</li> <li>Jeffrey R. Tobolski</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Tony Peraica (incumbent) (C)</li> <li>Brian A. Sloan (C)</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Alex Matos</li> <li>Alejandro Reyes</li> </ul> 17th District Commissioner Democrats <ul> <li>Victor A. Forys</li> <li>John J. Maher (C)</li> <li>Patrick Maher</li> <li>Donna Sanders (C)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman (incumbent)</li> <li>Gerald F. Maher</li> <li>Mark Thompson</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Richard Dalka (C)</li> <li>Matthew J. Ogean </li> </ul> Cook County Assessor Democrats <ul> <li>Raymond A. Figueroa</li> <li>Robert Shaw (C)</li> <li>Eugene "Gene" Staples (C)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Sharon Strobeck-Eckersall</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Robert C. Grota</li> </ul> Democrat Andrea Raila withdrew from the race Cook County Clerk Democrats <ul> <li>David Orr (incumbent)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Angel Garcia</li> </ul> Cook County Treasurer Democrats <ul> <li>Maria Pappas (incumbent)</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Carol A. Morse</li> </ul> Cook County Sheriff Democrats <ul> <li>Thomas J. Dart (incumbent)</li> <li>Sylvester E. Baker Jr.</li> </ul> Republicans <ul> <li>Frederick Collins</li> </ul> Green <ul> <li>Marshall P. Lewis</li> </ul>

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Countycandidatesbegincampaignswithflurryofchallenges

1 While just two candidates for county office have withdrawn, 24 were challenged on the strength of their petitions for office.

County candidates begin campaigns with flurry of challenges

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