On your mark: Candidates line up early on first day of filing for the March 19 primary

Candidates for federal, state, and county level offices made their way to the Sangamon County Clerk's office and the Illinois State Board of Elections Monday to file for the 2024 primary elections.

Candidates who were in line by 8 a.m., on the first day of filing were guaranteed top-of-the-ballot status or eligible for a lottery for the top slot if simultaneous filings occurred.

Some 118 seats in the Illinois State House, 23 seats in the Illinois Senate, all 17 of Illinois' Congressional seats, and over 80 judicial seats are all up for grabs on the March 19 ballot, in addition to president.

'The face of St. Martin de Porres Center,' Patricia Benanti, is SJ-R First Citizen

In the Springfield area, the 13th and 15th congressional districts will be at stake, along with the 87th, 95th, 96th, and 108th House districts in the Illinois General Assembly.

In Sangamon County, the offices of auditor, circuit clerk, coroner, recorder, and state's attorney are up for election. Fourteen of the 29 county board seats also are up after those candidates served two-year terms. Boundaries after maps were redrawn following the 2020 census.

Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, came in person to the ISBE offices to file her petitions. Two Republicans, Thomas Clatterbuck – a 31-year-old University of Illinois law student – and Joshua Loyd – a Virden-based West Point graduate – also filed for the 13th Congressional District primary.

In the 15th Congressional District, Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, has yet to file with ISBE, nor has any other candidate from either party. Miller also has not said whether she'll seek a third term in Congress.

Each of the area's four incumbent state representatives – Bill Hauter in the 87th District, Mike Coffey in the 95th District, Sue Scherer of the 96th District, and Wayne Rosenthal from the 108th District – also filed on Monday. As of 11:15 a.m., no one had filed to oppose them.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White filed Monday to retain her seat on the court in the Fourth Judicial District. She filed as a Republican, with no Democrats filing to oppose her yet.

Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for ISBE, said that the line of candidates filing wasn't quite as long as in past years, but even with a smaller crowd, the importance of the filing period and the ISBE's role in it remains strong.

"For us, this week and next week and up until ballot certification are the most important period for us," Dietrich said. "That really is the essence of what the State Board of Elections exists for, to make sure that candidates seeking access to the ballot file their paperwork properly, have all of their information received properly, and have objections heard efficiently and fairly.

Obviously, the agency does other things, but as far as voters and the public go, this is the biggest day here," he said.

The filing period continues from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Friday and concludes on Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. Objections to petitions can be filed through Dec. 11. For the presidential election, filing will take place on Jan. 4-5. The final ballot will be certified on Jan. 11 at the board's January meeting.

While many local politicians brought surrogates to deliver petitions, Budzinski stood in line, bringing with her over 2,500 signatures.

"I've been able to bring back $288 million of federal funding to a variety of different initiatives in the communities of the 13th District," Budzinski said. "I've been able to solve well over 700 constituent service cases – Social Security benefits or veterans benefits. My team and I have been working really hard to deliver for the people, the working people of the 13th District, so that work will continue when I'm reelected."

Sangamon County

Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said he had every intention of filing for the March 19 Republican primary.

Being first in line "was a bonus, I guess," said Allmon, who was scheduled to be in on six autopsies later Monday.

The March primary technically will be Allmon's first. Cinda Edwards' name remained on the primary ballot in 2020 after she died, along with her husband, former Springfield Mayor Frank Edwards, and a friend, John Evans of Glenarm, in a plane crash east of Springfield on Jan. 28, 2020.

Allmon, who was deputy coroner under Edwards, was appointed to the position in February 2020 and won in the general election in November 2020.

Also in line by 8 a.m. were state's attorney John Milhiser, who is running as a Republican; Marc Ayers, the Democrat county board member in District 12; Vera Small, the Democrat county board member in District 19 and Linda Douglas-Williams, a Democrat precinct committeewoman.

Douglas-Williams also is a county board member in District 20, but her seat is not up this time around.

It is Milhiser's first run at office since 2016. He was appointed state's attorney after Dan Wright became a Seventh Judicial Circuit associate judge.

"Getting signatures and talking with folks in the community, I enjoy that because I get to meet the great people around Sangamon County," Milhiser said.

Milhiser formerly served as state's attorney from 2010 to 2018 before being appointed as a U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois.

He had a primary opponent, Ken Tupy, in 2012, and an opponent in the general election, Ron Stradt, in 2016.

"Having an opponent in the primary, having an opponent in the general does not change anything for me," Milhiser said. "In my mind, I have to run the best office possible. Good government is good politics. I'll continue to do the best job I can each day as Sangamon County state's attorney."

Leland Grove attorney Kent Gray said he would be opposing Milhiser in the Republican primary, but intended on filing later in the week.

Gray ran for the General Assembly seat in the 95th District, losing the June 28, 2022 primary to incumbent Tim Butler, R-Springfield.

Later that year, Gray was a candidate for the Subdistrict 4 board of education appointment following the Oct. 5, 2022, death of Mike Zimmers. Jeff Tucka was ultimately picked by the board on Nov. 15, 2022.

If things hold, Milhiser also will have an opponent in November.

Attorney Kimberly Talken filed to run as state's attorney on the Democrat side.

Two incumbent county-wide office holders will run again.

Recorder Josh Langfelder, the lone Democrat to hold a county-wide seat, filed for reelection later Monday morning.

Joe Roesch, who was appointed to replace Paul Palazzolo as circuit clerk over the summer, will make a bid for the office.

Roesch was formerly a chief deputy in the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office. Roesch was practicing as an attorney specializing in labor and employment law before being tabbed for circuit clerk.

Palazzolo resigned after eight years in the role to take a new full-time position with Kiwanis International.

Incumbent auditor Andy Goleman, a Republican, said he intended to file later in the week.

Sangamon County Republican Party chairwoman Dianne Barghouti Hardwick Monday filed for several county board members seeking reelection, including Lori Williams in District 8; Tom Madonia Jr. in District 9; Brad Miller in District 13; Tim Krell in District 15; Greg Stumpf in District 16; Annette Fulgenzi in District 17; chairman Andy Van Meter in District 24; George Preckwinkle in District 25 and Abe Forsyth in District 27.

On the Democrat side, incumbents Clyde Bunch (District 21), Gina Lathan (District 22) and Kevin McGuire (District 28) all filed for reelection.

In a possible intriguing rematch from two years ago, Maureen Duffy Bommarito has filed to run again as a Democrat in District 24. Bommarito and Van Meter are neighbors on Fair Oaks Street in Leland Grove.

It was Bommarito's first political run two years ago.

Other Democrats filing for county board were Garret Selinger (District 16); Jennifer Merritt (District 25); and Kamilah Renee Webb (District 27).

Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said while the "notoriety and excitement of presidential elections traditionally draw out greater participation," county-wide seats can affect everyday services, from streets to infrastructure.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Candidates for federal, state, county offices start filing in Illinois