Updated April 30, 10:00 a.m.
Following a discovery recount on April 20, Rory Hoskins has instructed his lawyers not to sue the Circuit Court to challenge the results of the March 20 7th District election.
“I do not see a clear path to victory,” he said.
Representatives for Hoskins and winning candidate Emanuel “Chris” Welch reviewed mail ballot applications for 21 precincts and all absentee ballots for the entire district at the County Clerk’s office, Hoskins said. Welch won the election by 36 votes.
“We found 69 ballot applications that were not signed by the election judge. There’s an argument for whether those votes should be thrown out. In the end, we concluded that voters should not be penalized because the election judge didn’t do his or her job,” said Hoskins.
“Our results are official and they don’t change based on discovery,” said Trevor Layton at the County Clerk’s office.
Meanwhile, Welch congratulated his volunteers and staff with a victory party and fundraiser at Luis and Luigi’s restaurant in Berkeley April 23. Tickets cost between $250 and $2,000 a plate.
Campaign finances released
The Welch campaign spent $156,755.17 on the March 20 7th District election while Hoskins spent $38,694.25.
First quarter campaign contributions were not required to be reported until March 31, eleven days after the election. Several Forest Parkers appear on the campaign contribution and expenditure disclosures of both candidates.
Between Jan. 1 and March 31, Welch received $2,000 from 34 Publishing, Inc., publishers of the Forest Park Post; He received a $500 in-kind contribution from Citizens for Calderone for a mailing. Welch’s campaign paid $800 to 34 Publishing for newspaper advertising. The campaign paid $6,150 for telephone townhalls to Dolfin Consulting, owned by Forest Park Commissioner Tom Mannix. Welch paid $2,000 to Eyes of Janus, a consulting company owned by Forest Parker Bob Cox, who ran the Facebook page Neighbors for Chris Welch.
Starting in October, 2011, McGaffer Communications, LLP of Park Ridge– which also worked on Mark Hosty and Anthony Calderone’s campaigns — was paid $60,389.58.
Welch’s colleagues from the Proviso Township District 209 School Board also appeared on the campaign payroll. School Board member Francine Harrell was paid $5,170 and D209 publicist Taquoya Kennedy was paid $5,000.
As for the Hoskins campaign disclosures, names of fellow Forest Park commissioners appeared. Marty Tellalian gave $2,300 and Theresa Steinbach donated $250. Forest Park Review columnist Sharon Daly donated $500 and Around Town columnist Jackie Schulz donated $200. Hoskins spent $30,048.68 for printing at Forest Printing Company. He paid $400 for advertising to Wednesday Journal.
This article has been updated to correct the total amount spent by both candidates on the election from Oct. 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012.
