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Chicago Tribune
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Coin toss decides final Glenwood trustee seat
Incumbent Felicia Brown won Glenwood's third village trustee seat Tuesday after a coin toss broke a tie vote. Brown, who ran on Village President Ronald Gardiner's Glenwood Progress Party slate, and Rodrick Murdock, the Glenwood Strong Party candidate running on a slate led by former village treasurer and mayoral candidate Toleda Hart, each received 617 votes, according to election results from the Cook County clerk's office. 'We're here to flip one coin, to decide one race, and today it's going to be an 1899 silver dollar,' said Edmund Michalowski, deputy clerk of elections for Cook County, in a video released by the clerk's office that recorded the coin toss. James Nally, legal counsel for Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, said under the Illinois Election Code, tied elections are resolved by lot. To conduct the drawing, Nally presented each candidate with a white index card with their name written on it. The cards were folded, sealed in small opaque canisters and placed into a fishbowl. 'He will shake the bowl vigorously,' Nally said. After confirming the bowl had been thoroughly shaken, one canister was drawn. Brown was given the opportunity to call the coin toss and chose heads. Nally said the Glenwood trustee race was the only Cook County race decided by lot this year. Michalowski said in the April 1 election there were 2,487 candidates across 980 contests, along with 69 write-in votes and 35 referendums. He said all precincts had reported results within two hours of polls closing and more than 311,000 people cast ballots in the election. Hart led Gardiner with 53% of the vote. Running with Hart on the Glenwood Strong party were three trustee candidates vying for three seats against Progress candidates. Glenwood Strong candidate Michelle Mosley had 761 votes, while running mates Edward Hadnott had 738 and Rodrick Murdock 617. Progress candidate Felicia Brown had 617 votes, while running mates Camiella Williams had 613, Michael Owens 518 and independent candidate Dion Lynch had 510. Jesse Durden of the Glenwood Strong Party led Janice Flemister of the Progress Party with 55% of the vote. The coin toss made Brown the only Progress Party candidate to get a seat on the board. After the election, the Progress Party said in a Facebook post they aim to ensure a smooth transition to the new administration. 'Though the outcome was not what we had worked for, Glenwood is our home and we love our community,' the post reads. In a message to her supporters, Hart said she plans to focus on fiscal responsibility, economic development, revitalizing neighborhoods and community safety. 'Glenwood's best days are ahead, and I am honored to lead us forward,' she wrote.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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@
Chicago Tribune
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
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.
