As an alternative to a primary election, Illinois law allowed for a party to get its candidates on the ballot for General Assembly spots by party slating procedure, along with collection of a requisite number of public signatures on nominating positions. A number of Republican challengers have been proceeding accordingly.
But over the course of just 30 hours on the first days of this month, the Democratic supermajority changed the law to retroactively disallow that procedure, thereby barring challengers from the November ballot as Republican party candidates.
The new law almost certainly gives Democrats a win in races in which Republicans did not run a candidate in the primary and could result in dozens of unopposed races.
Gov. JB signed the new law the day after it was passed, hours after telling reporters he didn’t know all the details. He also claimed it was an “ethics” bill. “It really does make sure that we don’t have backroom deals to put people on the ballot and run as a result of some small group of people in a smoke-filled room making the choice,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Bloomington. “So I think to me, more transparency is better.” It’s not like Illinois Democrats ever line up their chosen candidates to run for the party, right?
“This is nothing more than a brazen attempt by Illinois Democrats to disenfranchise voters and eliminate political competition. To hide behind the guise of ‘ethics,’ is laughable,” said Sean M. Morrison, Chairman of the Cook County GOP.
The new law originated as a “shell bill” – one on an entirely different subject with a different label, before being changed in the 30-hour cram-through.
Senate Minority Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) said it right: “This abuse of power that blocks candidates from giving voters a choice in free, fair and open elections is unprecedented in Illinois’ 205-year history,” Curran said. “Their dictator-style tactic of stealing an election before a vote is cast is a new low for elective government in this state and undermines the core principals of American democracy.”
Democrats are widely believed to be particularly motivated by trying to assist Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), who is running for reelection in an increasingly Republican district. However, we are told that at least 20 Republicans may be knocked out of ballot spots.
This is all brought to you by the crowd who tells us that democracy is at risk in November’s election, headed, in Illinois by President Biden’s proxy (as he is routinely called, even by his allies), Pritzker.
At least one Democrat couldn’t ignore the hypocrisy. “At this time in our history, when we are watching Republican legislatures across the country really attack access to the ballot and attack voting rights and fundamentally attack democracy, I just think it’s fundamentally wrong for Democrats to participate in something that makes it harder for people to run, to run for office, makes it harder for folks to engage,” Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) said.
Grounds for lawsuits are now being considered, we are told by knowledgeable sources. I am no expert on election law and I don’t know what they are considering, but I have to believe that federal claims based on well-established application of civil rights laws to election rigging are in order.
It doesn’t get more shameless, tyrannical and hypocritical than this.
Editor's note: This op-ed originally was published at Wirepoints.org.