CHICAGO | A Cook County judge on Thursday refused to restore the Calumet City mayoral campaign of Brian Wilson to the April 9 municipal election ballot.
Judge Maureen Ward Kirby ruled in favor of supporters of Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush who argued Wilson became ineligible to run in the general election as an independent after first trying to run as a Democrat in the February primary.
Kirby also accepted the argument that many of the signatures on Wilson's nominating petitions were invalid because several people who circulated them also circulated petitions for other candidates in the primary election. Kirby ruled that at most Wilson had 242 valid signatures, which is less than the 257 minimum required.
Kirby did reject a claim that Wilson was ineligible to run because he owed money to Calumet City government.
Wilson said following the court hearing, "Hindsight is always 20/20, but maybe I should have stayed on the ballot for the primary."
The ruling means Qualkinbush will run unopposed on April 9, unless Wilson's attorney John Jawor wins an appeal.
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