Two Republicans filed this morning on the opening day of petition filing for the primary election next March to compete for the chance to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) in next fall’s general election.
Sargis Sangari of Skokie, who heads the Near East Center for Strategic Engagement, was born in Iran and immigrated to the U.S. in 1980. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.
John D. Elleson is a pastor at the Lakewood Chapel in Arlington Heights.
In another race of local interest, Cook County Commisisoner Larry Suffredin will face a challenge in the Democratic primary from Bushra Amiwala, a DePaul University student from Skokie.
Daniel Biss and his lieutenant governor running mate, Litesa Wallace, deliver petition signatures to the election board office in Springfield today.
And in the Democratic primary for governor, Evanston resident Daniel Biss filed his petitions today, as did J.B. Pritzker and Chris Kennedy.
Update 3: 20 p.m.: State Rep. Laura Fine, who’s announced she’s running to succeed Biss in the State Senate, had not filed petitions in that race as of 3 p.m. this afternoon according to the State Board of Elections. But five Democrats had filed to succeed Fine in the House.
They are Candance Chow of Evanston, Pete Dagher of Skokie, Alexandra Eidenberg of Wilmette, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz of Glenview and Mary Rita Luecke of Skokie.