HYDE PARK — A sixth candidate has jumped into the 4th Ward race as contenders start trying to knock each other off the ballot.
Attorney Gerald Scott McCarthy is now the sixth candidate on the ballot for a special election to fill out the rest of the term of Will Burns, who stepped down in February to take a job at AirBnB.
McCarthy filed nominating petitions to get on the ballot at 5 p.m. Nov. 28, the absolute last minute to get on the ballot for the Feb. 28 special election.
Incumbent Ald. Sophia King, who was appointed in April by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as alderman until the special election could be held, and attorney Ebony Lucas are guaranteed a spot on the ballot.
Jack Taylor, Gregory Livingston, Marcellus Moore Jr. and McCarthy are all facing challenges claiming their nominating petitions are not valid and they should not appear on the ballot.
Petition challenges are part of the ritual of elections in Chicago, but King seems to be the only one going through it this year.
Four of the five objections were prepared for Mildred Hare by attorney Michael Dorf of Adducci, Dorf, Lehner, Mitchell and Blankenship, a firm which has been paid by King’s campaign for election work, according to filings with the state.
A fifth objection, the second Taylor is facing, comes from Quinn and Stacy Taylor, represented by attorney Andrew Finko.
All five objections are scheduled to be considered by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners on Monday.
Whatever the commission decides, Lucas will be the first name on the ballot, after Tuesday’s lottery to determine ballot order.
The Cook County Board President has also gotten involved in the race for the aldermanic seat she held for 19 years and is chairing a Dec. 13 fundraiser for King at Porkchop, 1516 E. Harper Court.
Preckwinkle is also expected to be at the opening of King’s new campaign office, 1338 E. 47th St. on Sunday with state Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago).
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