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GOP protests Democrat’s signatures in 90th House District

Republicans in the redrawn 90th Illinois House District are attempting to prevent Thomas Boken Jr. of DeKalb from appearing on the November ballot to oppose Tom Demmer of Dixon for retiring state Rep. Jerry Mitchell’s seat.

Boken was selected last month by Democratic party officials from Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and LaSalle counties and had to collect signatures to validate his candidacy. He needs between 500 and 1,500 signatures to make the ballot.

About 180 of some 700 signatures he gathered are being challenged, campaign organizer Mike Ortiz told saukvalley.com. The objection was filed by Greg Witzleb, president of the Lee County Republican Party and a County Board member.

The problem, Ortiz said, is that some signers wrote initials instead of spelling out the county or city in which they live.

“The signatures I think are perfect,” he said. “I think they’re all genuine. It’s just some people initialed their counties or their cities.”

A decision is expected later this week.