EDWARDSVILLE - Hal Patton of Edwardsville, presently the Edwardsville mayor, is still attempting to be on the November ballot as a new party candidate for Illinois Senate in Illinois.
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Patton is presently collecting signatures and said this week he needs to collect more than 5,000 signatures by June 25 and re-file as new party candidate under Illinois law.
Patton asked anyone wanting to sign his petition or helping him to collect signatures to visit www.halpattonforsenate.com.
This week, Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan named his personal attorney Michael Kasper with a promotion. Kasper will now be the new treasurer for both the Democratic Party of Illinois and Mike Madigan’s personal campaign committee, Friends of Michael J. Madigan.
Kasper is the Chicago attorney that successfully challenged Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton from the Republican ballot for State Senate. Patton, who is currently collecting petition signatures to re-file his candidacy as a new party, says Kasper's promotion is simply more of the same and a pattern of behavior long demonstrated by Madigan.
“Mike Madigan has been helping my opponent, Rachelle Crowe, while she has remained silent and allowed these Chicago machine tactics to occur,” said Patton. “Now the attorney that removed me from the ballot is being rewarded and put in control of Madigan’s millions.”
Patton has a goal of capturing the election for Illinois State Sen. William Haine, D-Alton, who is not seeking re-election. Previously, Patton signed an election petition for Edwardsville state Democratic Rep. Katie Stuart, and there is a law against signing the petition of another party. Charles Yancey of Bethalto filed an objection. Last February, Kasper and Madigan appealed to Cook County judges to have Patton removed from the ballot.
"I would love to help the entire area in the Senate district," Patton said. "I think a lot of things in the state need to change and I think I could make a big difference. I love my position as mayor of Edwardsville, but think I can also help the entire state."
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