Walsh challengers removed from primary ballot

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Congressman Joe Walsh. File Photo. | Jerry Daliege~for Sun-Times Media

Updated: April 4, 2012 1:50AM

One of Joe Walsh’s foes in this spring’s Republican primary is plotting what his next move will be, if any.

The other has made his decision, and it involves no longer running against Walsh.

Walsh, congressman for the current 8th Congressional District declared in December that he will run for re-election, even though redistricting is moving the 8th District further south and including just a sliver of Lake County.

He had two opponents in the March 20 primary — Richard Evans and Robert Canfield — but the state removed both of them from the ballot in January.

Both intend to continue the fight, though Canfield noted that his fight is moving to the 6th District.

“Do I want to be a write-in candidate? Yes,” Canfield said Feb. 2. “I’m working with many county clerks. I have not withdrawn.”

Evans said he was looking further into what his options are.

“I want to talk with the other candidates who got the ‘fast shuffle’ from the old GOP,” Evans wrote in a Feb. 3 e-mail.

“We have to make sure that new good and legitimate candidates are not receiving shabby treatment and a ‘stacked deck.’”

Evans, a CPA whose campaign is based in Villa Park, and Canfield, owner of a commercial printing company in Palatine, both lost their ballot positions last month when the State Board of Elections decided their petitions were about 100 signatures short of qualifying. Canfield said that his petition was “excellent” and “on time,” with one major flaw: most of its signatures were from voters residing in the 6th District.

Canfield said he fell victim to a confusing set of circumstances that began with the 2010 Census. The state realigned all of its congressional district boundaries last year, a change that will not go into effect until this year’s election winners take office in January 2013. Canfield said he was campaigning with an outdated map. While he lives in the 8th District, he did not know that his residence will be in the 6th District next year.

Thus, he said he has enough signatures to appear on the ballot, but he cannot in the 6th District because he turned those signatures in as an 8th District candidate.

Canfield is regrouping and refiling.

“I still want to have my name be available,” he said. “I’m planning on winning the primary, and going on and winning the general election.

“I have a lot of fight left.”