Campaign season opens in Illinois

The roadside signs are out in force along the highways of Southern Illinois as the campaign season heats up heading toward the Feb. 5 primary that will select candidates for offices from the county level up to the U.S. Senate.

The election will also include a presidential primary for the Democratic, Republican and Green parties.

In Alexander and Union counties, the dominance of Democrats in local positions spurred challenges to several incumbents as 30 candidates filed for office. Since filing closed, one candidate has withdrawn and one was forced off the ballot due to a challenge by the incumbent officeholder to the challenger's qualifications.

Only four Republicans, including the only incumbent Republican up for re-election, Union County State's Attorney Allen James, and one independent candidate filed for office. None face opposition Feb. 5, assuring them a place on the November ballot.

Only two incumbent Democrats, one in each county, will reach the November general election without facing primary opposition. In Union County, Coroner Darryl W. Rendleman was unchallenged. But in Alexander County, State's Attorney Jeffery B. Farris filed a challenge to the qualifications of opponent Derrick R. Williams of Tamms to remove him from the ballot.

Williams, who practices law in Southeast Missouri, said he has applied for but not received his law license for Illinois.

Farris first went to a county elections board, which by law consists of the county clerk, the circuit clerk and, in cases involving the state's attorney, the county treasurer. But when Treasurer Frances Lee was unable to attend because she was out of town, the board seated Sheriff David Barkett to hear the case. The board ruled Williams was ineligible.

Williams lost an appeal at the circuit court level and decided he'd likely lose again at the court of appeals. "I will try again in four years," Williams said.

In the November election, Farris will face McArthur Allen of Metropolis. In Illinois, state's attorneys are not required to live in the county where they are elected.

Familiar names

At least one other Alexander County race features some familiar names, with incumbent Commissioner Rollie Matlock facing Esley Cornelius and Thomas M. Simpson, Cairo residents who lost primary races for Cairo City Council seats in February, and Duane "Street Preacher" Lyons, who won the 2006 Democratic nomination for a commission seat before losing the general election to Republican Mike Caldwell.

In Union County, a dispute over whether a county commission seat was filled properly after the 2006 election has spilled over into the Feb. 5 contest. A candidate who had withdrawn from the contest, Steve Hartline, won the election over write-in candidates, Toler said.

When Bill Jackson, the commission chairman, and John Garner, the other of the three commissioners, were unable to agree on a candidate, Jackson appointed James Tweedy, bypassing Beverly Tweedy, no relation, who was the leading vote-getter among write-in candidates. A court recently ruled that James Tweedy was not properly seated because Garner did not agree, Toler said.

Beverly Tweedy is challenging Jackson for a six-year term on the commission, while James Tweedy is not seeking to serve the remaining four years in the seat he lost as a result of the court ruling.

Tweedy could not be reached at her home. Jackson's telephone is not listed.

The court ruling could create other problems for the county, but Toler said he's not sure at this time what they may be. "I am sure there will be," he said. "I don't know of any yet, but I am sure there will be."

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126