More than half mayoral hopefuls face petition challenges

More than half mayoral hopefuls face petition challenges
Rahm Emanuel campaigns at a CTA stop WBEZ/File
More than half mayoral hopefuls face petition challenges
Rahm Emanuel campaigns at a CTA stop WBEZ/File

More than half mayoral hopefuls face petition challenges

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Twenty candidates filed to run for Chicago mayor, but eleven of them will have to survive petition challenges in order to stay on the ballot.

They include ex-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who faces questions about whether he’s eligible to run for mayor because he rented his house out while working in Washington, D.C. His tenant, Rob Halpin, is also running for mayor, and also faces an objection. It alleges irregularities in his petition’s signatures. Candidates for citywide office were required to turn in 12,500 signatures from registered Chicago voters.

Other mayoral candidates facing objections include Pastor Wilfredo de Jesus, state Sen. James Meeks, and ex-U.S. Sens. Roland Burris and Carol Moseley Braun.

The deadline for filing petition challenges was Tuesday at 5 p.m. Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections, said the board received 426 objections, most of which were filed against candidates for alderman. Allen said that appears to be a record for city elections. The three-member election board will hold initial hearings next Monday.