Weeks after the primary election, and unofficial results are in for Illinois’ new 55th district. Susan Sweeney will be the Republican nominee. That sets up what is expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive state legislative races this fall. Amanda Vinicky reports.
There was no question who won the Democratic primary, the Mayor of Des Plaines, Marty Moylan , was the only candidate. What had been unknown until now is who’d be his Republican opponent. There were no official choices on the primary ballot. Incumbent State Representative Rosemary Mulligan had filed to run, but was forced to withdraw her petition when it became apparent the paperwork lacked enough signatures.
Instead, she ran as a write-in-candidate.
But the House Republican Organization decided to instead support Susan Sweeney, a former IBM employee and Park Ridge Native. According to an unofficial canvass, Sweeney easily defeated Mulligan, with 2319 votes to Mulligan’s 63. Republican Political Director Kevin Artl says to get that much support in a write-in campaign is impressive. It’s four times the number of signatures a write-in-candidate needs to make it on a general election ballot.
The numbers are unofficial, as are all results, until the State Board of Elections certifies them on April 20th. Republicans and Democrats are both expected to sink a lot of money into the race.
WUIS - My Source for News 