Ivy off ballot — again

KANKAKEE — For the second time in about a month, the woman seeking to run in the April municipal election in Kankakee has withdrawn her name from consideration.

Deborah Ivy, 59, of 935 S. Wildwood Ave., was seeking to run against first-term Democratic Party 6th Ward Alderwoman Kelly Johnson.

The chief reason for the objection was the fact Ivy had sought to run as a Democratic Party candidate. Election code prohibits a person previously having filed as a partisan candidate from filing as an Independent candidate in the same election cycle.

Ivy’s first attempt to run against Johnson in the Feb. 25 Democratic primary was upended when her nominating petitions were challenged by Brian Hiatt, Johnson’s husband.

Based on a number of pending objections from Hiatt, Ivy simply withdrew on Nov. 7 from the race.

On Nov. 18, Ivy filed as an Independent candidate, again for a 6th Ward Kankakee City Council seat, and again her nominating petition paperwork was challenged by Hiatt, this time on Nov. 25.

As she did earlier, Ivy withdrew her filing paperwork.

Based on Ivy’s departure from the race, there will be no contested city council races. The only contested race will be for mayor, between first-term Mayor Chris Curtis, a Republican, and Democratic challenger and former 10-year Kankakee school superintendent Genevra Walters.

At Monday’s Kankakee Electoral Board hearing, the three-member panel was informed as the hearing opened that Ivy had withdrawn from the race based upon the objection

As with the first objection, it came from Hiatt.

The three-member electoral board is comprised on Mayor Chris Curtis, city clerk Stacy Gall and the city council’s most-senior member, 4th Ward Alderwoman Danita Grant Swanson.

Because Ivy withdrew her nominating papers, there was no need for the objection to be heard.

However, the objection shared by Hiatt was based on three factors:

• Ivy’s nominating petitions were not properly notarized;

• Ivy cannot file as an Independent candidate after having field for nomination as a Democratic Party candidate in the same election cycle; and

• Ivy circulated petitions for a Democratic candidate and as an Independent candidate in the same election cycle, which is prohibited.

Ivy did not attend the Monday hearing.

The public portion of the hearing lasted about 10 minutes. Based upon the fact Ivy had withdrawn her nominating papers, there was little reason for much discussion.

After the public portion of the hearing was concluded, paperwork was produced by attorney Mike Santschi, who represented the electoral board.

Following an approximate 30-minute recess, the matter was officially acted upon.

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