A line of candidates seeking election to the McLean County Board awaited county election authorities Monday morning seeking to be first on the ballot for the spring primary election.
The McLean County Clerk’s office reported 16 candidates were in line to file at 8 a.m. at the Government Center in downtown Bloomington. Fifteen candidates filed at the start of the day for County Board seats ahead of the June 28 primary, while six additional candidates filed after the 8 a.m. start.
County Clerk Kathy Michael was the only candidate to file for countywide office at the start of the day. County clerk, sheriff and treasurer are all on the ballot for four-year terms.
All 20 County Board seats are on the ballot, following the once-per-decade redrawing of the political maps.
Seven of the County Board candidates who filed are incumbents (County Board Chair John McIntyre, Beverly Bell, Chuck Erickson, Elizabeth Johnston, Jim Rogal, Susan Schafer and George Wendt), while an eighth candidate could be installed on the County Board this week.
Matt Coates was the only candidate to apply for a vacant seat in District 4. The board is expected to fill that seat on Thursday. Coates would replace Benjamin Webb, who moved out of the district.
Multiple candidates filed at 8 a.m. in the same district. That will set up lotteries for top ballot placement in districts 4, 8, 9 and 10. The lottery has been scheduled for March 16 at 10 a.m. at the Government Center, room 102.
Michael said a date for the lottery has not been set, but it will be held within nine days after the filing period ends on March 14. If multiple candidates file for a seat after 4 p.m. on March 14, they also will be placed in a lottery for the last slot on the ballot.
The general election will be held Nov. 8. The McLean County clerk’s office plans to keep an updated list of candidate filings on its website.
Three candidates have also filed for judicial seats in the 11th Judicial Circuit that includes McLean County. They each turned in nominating petitions at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield, along with candidates for state and federal offices. Amy McFarland and Don Knapp both filed in the Republican primary for the 11th Judicial Circuit. Carla Barnes is running as a Republican for 11th Circuit court judge after she was appointed in January to fill a vacancy following Scott Drazewski’s retirement.
County Board candidate filings (as of 5 p.m. Monday). Two board members will be elected in each district.
- District 2 (southeast McLean County)
Bill Friedrich, Republican (incumbent)
Jim Soeldner, Republican (incumbent) - District 3 (southwest McLean County)
Lyndsay Bloomfield, Republican (incumbent)
Fay Freeman-Smith, Democrat
George Wendt, Republican (incumbent) - District 4 (northwest Normal)
Matt Coates, Democrat
Jim Rogal, Democrat (incumbent) - District 5 (north central and east Normal)
Elizabeth Johnston, Democrat (incumbent)
John McIntyre, Republican (incumbent) - District 6 (Uptown Normal and Illinois State University campus)
Beverly Bell, Democrat (incumbent) - District 7 (east Bloomington)
Geoff Tompkins, Republican - District 8 (west Bloomington)
Jeanne Biles, Democrat
Lea Cline, Democrat (incumbent)
Vicki Schultz, Republican
Gary Stevens, Republican - District 9 (south Bloomington)
Brandy Elmore, Democrat
Natalie Roseman-Mendoza, Democrat
Annette Fellows, Republican
Susan Schafer, Republican (incumbent) - District 10 (far east Bloomington, Normal)
Chuck Erickson, Republican (incumbent)
William Holditch, Republican
