Nate Fields back on ballot as Thornton Township supervisor candidate, judge rules
A Cook County judge ruled Monday Independent supervisor candidate Nate Fields will be on the Thornton Township ballot, reversing a decision made by the township Electoral Board.
The board, made up of township Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Darlene Gray Everett as well as Clerk Loretta Wells, voted last month to remove Fields and two other supervisor candidates from the April 1 ballot.
Michael Smith and Keith Price, who is food assistance program manager in Supervisor Tiffany Henyard's township administration, brought five challenges against Fields, only one of which stuck.
The board voted 2-1 to remove Fields on the basis that he failed to bind his statement of candidacy with his nomination petitions. At the time, Fields expressed frustrations that a filing error could prevent voters from choosing the candidates.
'It's just another obstacle I have to overcome,' Fields said, adding objectors Price and Smith were 'doing their best to kick out any competitors … instead of thinking about who the residents want.'
Fields appealed the decision, leading to Judge John Tully's ruling.
Tully wrote the Illinois Election Code does not explicitly require statements of candidacy and nomination petitions be bound together, and therefore Fields should not be disqualified from seeking office. The Election Code states that petition sheets 'be neatly fastened together in book form by placing the sheets in a pile and fastening them together at one edge in a secure and suitable manner,' Tully wrote.
Fields filed all the necessary documents as a candidate simultaneously, Tully said, so he is an eligible candidate.
'In sustaining the objection in this regard, the Board created one without any valid legal support,' Tully said in his decision. 'Its decision was clear error.'
Fields was among the first candidates to file to run for Thornton Township supervisor, and will face Democratic nominee and state Sen. Napoleon Harris, Republican nominee Richard Nolan and Reform Thornton Township Party candidate and Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark.
Supervisor Tiffany Henyard also sought a spot on the ballot, but lost the Democratic nomination to Harris during a caucus held last month. Henyard challenged the caucus result in Cook County circuit court, but her objection was thrown out for being filed incorrectly.
Fields said before officially filing for office that he worked for the township under former Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli until his position was dissolved under Henyard. He said he wants to lead with transparency and involve the community more in township decision making.
'I'm hoping the community that is outraged about how Tiffany is acting is going to get up now and say, 'OK, choose him now,' because I need to get up and make a difference now,' Fields said.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
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