Area residents will have the opportunity to vote on a key school-funding proposition in Peoria County and candidates for various offices in the March 18 General Primary Election.
Although the top of the ballot has several contested races, few county positions have competing candidates within a political party. However, a few new names will appear.
In Illinois’ primary election, most voters ask for a ballot for either Democrat or Republica
n candidates to select someone to run in the Nov. 4 general election. A non-partisan ballot may be requested, but it will contain no party candidates but only propositions and non-partisan races.
CUTLINE: Republicans Tom Cross (L) from the Chicago suburb of Plainfield & Bob Grogan (R) from the Chicago suburb of Westmont are competing for the nomination to run for State Treasurer against Michael Frerichs, the unopposed Democratic candidate.
In races for Congress, Republicans in the 17th District now represented by Democrat Cheri Bustos can see that former Congressman Bobby Schilling of Colona, who Bustos defeated in 2012, is now unopposed after Democrat-turned-Independent-turned-Republican Eric Reyes of Rock Island, who’d filed for the office, is no longer on the ballot.
Democrats Rob Mellon (L) of Quincy and Darrel Miller (R) of Danvers are running for the chance to face incumbent Congressman Aaron Schock of the 18th District.
Democrats in the 18th District now represented by Republican Aaron Schock can choose either Rob Mellon of Quincy or Darrel Miller of Danvers.
The nonpartisan race for the 3rd District seat on the Peoria CUSD 150 Board of Education had been a contest between incumbent Laura Petelle and challenger Sue Wolstenholm, backed by some hoping to remove Superintendent Grenita Lathan and her hierarchy. But Wolstenholm dropped out in late February, citing a personal matter. (If voters still support Wolstenholm, the School Board could pick the Third District representative.)
In County Board races, four Republicans are running for re-election, and three are unopposed. But in District 16, now represented by the GOP’s Brad Harding, Democrat Richard Burns of Edwards is running to face Harding in November.
Here are the highlights from sample ballots provided by the County Clerk’s office:
Proposition:
“Shall a retailers’ occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a ‘sales tax’) be imposed in The County of Peoria, Illinois, at a rate of 1 percent to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?”
U.S. Senator
D – Richard J. Durbin
R – James D. “Jim” Oberweis
R – Douglas Lee Truax
Governor/Lt Governor
D – Tio Hardiman/
Brunell Donald
D – Pat Quinn/Paul Vallas
R – Bill Brady/Maria Rodriguez
R – Dan Rutherford/Steve Kim
R – Kirk W. Dillard/Jil Tracy
R – Bruce Rauner/
Evelyn Sanguinetti
Attorney General
D – Lisa Madigan
R – Paul Schimpf
Secretary of State
D – Jesse White
R – Michael Webster
Comptroller
D – Sheila Simon
R – Judy Baar Topinka
State Treasurer
D – Michael W. Frerichs
R – Tom Cross
R – Bob Grogan
17th Dist Congressional Representative
D – Cheri Bustos
R – Bobby Schilling
18th Dist Congressional Representative
D – Rob Mellon
D – Darrel Miller
R – Aaron Schock
State Representative 73rd Dist
R – David R. Leitch
State Representative 91st Dist
D – Chad Schmidgall
R – Michael D. Unes
State Representative 92nd Dist
D – Jehan Gordon-Booth
Peoria County Clerk
D – Robert S. (Steve) Sonnemaker
Peoria County Treasurer
R – Edward T. O’Connor
Peoria County Sheriff
R – Michael D. McCoy
Peoria County Regional Superintendent of Schools
D – Elizabeth A. Derry
Peoria County Board Dist. 12 (Route 6 east to Willow Knolls Road, I-74 north to Allen Road and War Memorial Drive)
R – Robert E. Baietto
Peoria County Board Dist. 14 (Millbrook, Princeville, Akron, Hallock and portions of Medina Townships)
R – Brian J. Elsasser
Peoria County Board Dist. 16 (Elmwood, Rosefield, Trivoli and Logan Townships)
D – Richard Burns
R – Brad E. Harding
Peoria County Board Dist. 18 (Bartonville north of Garfield, Norwood, Bellevue and northeast Limestone Township)
R – Paul Rosenbohm
Peoria School Dist. 150 Dist. 3 (For members of the Board of Education to serve a full, five-year term)
Laura Petelle
In addition, several townships and precincts are selecting precinct committeemen and Democratic State Central Committeemen, and local initiatives also are being voted on in Akron-Princeville Fire Protection District, Glasford and Princeville Community Unit School District 326.