ROGERS PARK — A friend and volunteer of Ald. Joe Moore challenged the nominating petitions of nearly all of the 23-year incumbent's challengers in the upcoming 49th Ward election.
On Wednesday, Eric Glatstein submitted objections to the petitions of John Beacham, Connie Gates-Brown, Grady Humphrey and Nathan Benjamin Myers.
The only candidates not challenged were Moore and his longtime rival and critic, Don Gordon, who lost by 300 votes to Moore in a runoff during the 2007 election. They are now the only two guaranteed a spot on the ballot.
Gordon said he submitted last month to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners 1,986 signatures from registered voters in the ward who support his candidacy. Candidates needed to collect at least 473 valid signatures to make it on the ballot in February.
Glatstein didn't immediately respond to a voicemail requesting comment regarding his objections. Election attorney Michael Dorf, who represents Glatstein, also didn't respond to a request for comment.
Moore didn't respond directly to questions about Glatstein's objections, but said in an email, "I thinks it is safe to assume we were not unaware he filed the objections."
In a post to his Facebook page on Nov. 17, Moore shared a photo of himself, Glatstein and a stack of nominating petitions containing 7,180 signatures he was about to submit to the Board of Elections. In the post, he called Glatstein a "friend and volunteer."
If the objections stand for prospective candidate Connie Gates-Brown, Moore's name would move to the first spot on the ballot.
Glatstein claims Gates-Brown's petition sheets are all invalid because they "fail to specify the Ward to which such Candidate seeks election" and "misstated the date of the election." Glatstein and his attorney also allege the petition contains invalid signatures for other reasons.
Gates-Brown didn't respond to a request for comment.
The nominating petitions of prospective candidate and socialist John Beacham also had issues, according to Glatstein. Glatstein alleges many of the signatures are invalid because the signatories either didn't live in the ward or weren't registered at their current addresses, or had signed other nominating petitions, which isn't allowed under election law.
Beacham said when reached by phone Thursday that he had yet to review the allegations — but vowed to fight them.
"Objecting to petition papers is not democratic," he said. "I would never do that. People should be allowed to be on the ballot. We’re going to do everything we can. This process is definitely not fair and equal."
Glatstein filed similar objections to the other two prospective candidates in the race, Nathan Ben Myers and Grady Humphrey, who has run in past 49th Ward elections.
Neither could be reached for comment Thursday.
Glatstein alleges Humphrey did not even submit the minimum amount of signatures to get on the ballot.
Glatstein alleges Myers submitted invalid signatures — and also criticized signature gatherers for not following the correct procedures, thus invalidating all petition sheets.
A hearing officer will decide whether the objections to the candidates' petitions are valid. Chicago's municipal elections take place on Feb. 24.
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