Illinois Democrats’ law changing the choosing of legislative candidates faces GOP opposition

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Democrats have changed the way candidates for the General Assembly get on the ballot. Republicans are complaining that they changed the rules mid-game.

The Legislature’s majority party speedily made the change last week by introducing the proposal, shepherding it through votes of approval by the House and Senate and securing the governor’s signature within 30 hours.

The law, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed as an ethics update, eliminates the drafting of legislative candidates by local political parties without putting them through primary elections.

Previously, someone who wasn’t on the primary ballot — this year, March 19 — could still run in November after getting the nod from party leaders and collecting the requisite number of valid petition signatures by the June 3 deadline set by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

For supporters of the change, the previous process conjured up the archetype of the smoke- and party hack-filled room of yesteryear, where candidates were chosen in secret.

However, given the uncertainty of the law taking effect while candidates are currently collecting signatures, the elections board will continue to accept them. The measure’s sponsor, Democratic Rep. Jay Hoffman, was asked whether the timing invites courtroom chaos with legal challenges from those shut out. In a written statement, he skirted that question.

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