Candidates for statewide office have to gather 5,000 signatures on the nominating petition. Most collect 10,000 to demonstrate their support and to provide a cushion in case some signatures are disqualified for technical reasons.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hundreds of Illinois politicians lined up Monday to file for the February primary election and get a shot at being listed first on the ballot. Candidates for everything from governor to state representative to county judge showed up at the State Board of Elections. Anyone in line when doors opened at 8 a.m. was eligible for a lottery to determine which candidate gets the coveted first listing in each particular race. "It’s always important to get a shot at the first ballot position, especially in judicial races," said Mary Trew, who’s running for judge in Cook County. "They’ve done studies, and usually the top of the ballot gets a couple extra points just by virtue of location." Filing marks the first major hurdle to begin separating serious candidates from the amateurs. Candidates for statewide office have to gather 5,000 signatures on the nominating petition. Most collect 10,000 to demonstrate their support and to provide a cushion in case some signatures are disqualified for technical reasons. Some people who announce plans to run for office eventually find they lack the money or organization to collect the signatures. The flip side of that are the candidates who file petitions even though they may not end up running. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis filed in Chicago to run for president of the Cook County Board but said he is completely "on the fence" over whether he’ll seek that office or go for another term in Congress. The Chicago Democrat said he wants to know who else is running for board president before making a decision. "Unless you know what you are walking into, you don’t just walk," he said. "You can’t make a definite decision until you know the lay of the land." The filing period runs through Nov. 2. Aside from the first morning, candidates are listed on the ballot in the order in which they file. That means some people choose to file on the very last day in an effort to be listed last in their race — a spot that may not be as valuable as first place but is still conspicuous. Republican Jim Ryan, the former attorney general and an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2002, said Monday that he plans to file his petition for governor on the last day. State Sen. Terry Link, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said filing his signatures means he can spend more time on campaigning. "Now you can just focus totally on what you need to do," he said. ___ Associated Press Writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report from Chicago. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
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