Lottery draw results in candidates listed alphabetically for 2012 primary election
By Beth Kramer ekramer@stmedianetwork.com December 12, 2011 8:20PM
Marty Blumental of Highland Park draws the first letter during a lottery that will determine the order of candidates names for the general primary election on March 20, 2012. Blumenthal is a candidate for Lake County Recorder of Deeds. | Thomas Delany Jr~ Sun-Times Media
Lottery
Results
(as will appear on primary election)
Lake County
Circuit Court
Clerk-Republican
A Keith Brin
B Gerald T. Dietz
Lake County Coroner-Democratic
A Thomas A. Rudd
B Artis Yancey
Lake County Recorder-Republican
A Bob Bednar
B Marty Blumenthal
Lake County State’s Attorney-Democratic
A Chris Kennedy
B Reginald C. Matthews
C Karen Boyd Williams
Lake County State’s Attorney-Republican
A Louise Hayes
B Mike Nerheim
C Bryan R. Winter
Lake County Board Member-District 2-Democratic
A Diane Hewitt
B Beverly Stackhouse-Mull
C Mark Stricklin
Lake County Board Member District 3-
Republican
A Jim Newton
B Tom Weber
Lake County Board Member-District 9-Democratic
A Mary Ross Cunningham
B Ann Kindle
Lake County Board Member-District 12-Republican
A Scott J. Helton
B Mike Rummel
Lake County Board Member-District 13-Republican
A David N. Barkhausen
B Jay Krasne
C Rick Lesser
Lake County Board Member-District 15-Republican
A Carol Calabresa
B Dan Donahue
Lake County Board Member-District 16-Republican
A Michael Carbone
B Rene Hernandez Jr.
Lake County Board Member-District 17-Republican
A Dan Quick
B Nick Sauer
North Shore Sanitary District-Ward 3-Democratic
A Jose L. Guzman
B Beverly Sugar Young
Committeeman-Precinct 350-Democratic
A Philip Carrigan
B Robert Stefanowski
Committeeman-Precinct 172-Republican
A Edward P. Kelly
B Walter Oakley
Committeeman-Precinct 180-Republican
A Raymond S. True
B Susan White
Source: Lake County Clerk Willard Helander
Article Extras
Updated: January 30, 2012 11:28AM
Determining the candidates’ order on the primary election ballot was as easy as A-B-C.
On Monday, Lake County Clerk Willard Helander held the lottery to determine which order candidates’ names will appear on the primary ballots for the March 20, 2012, general primary election.
“They were drawn in alphabetical order. That was the luck of the draw,” Helander said. “I think that’s the first time (since I’ve been in office) that happened.”
Candidates in each race were assigned a letter, A, B or C, that corresponded with their last names in alphabetical order. The letters A, B and C were each folded on a piece of paper and put in a basket.
For the privilege of drawing the letters, Helander asked who in the assembled crowd had the birthday closest to Monday.
Lake County Recorder of Deeds candidate Marty Blumenthal had the only December birthday — Dec. 1 — and happened to pluck the letters out of the basket in alphabetical order.
“I was surprised someone was picked from the crowd to pick the ticket.” Blumenthal said. “It seems to be pretty fair.”
Statistically speaking, Blumenthal said there was a 1 in 27 chance that he pulled the letters in the order he did. There were 27 possible combinations.
“Everyone was amazed that the order was A, B, C,” Blumenthal said. “It was interesting that it came up in that order.”
There is a “very slight” statistical advantage to having one’s name listed first on the ballot, Helander said. She also said candidates with longer last names have also been known to catch the eye of voters.
Venus Kindle of Waukegan, whose mother is Democratic Lake County Board District 9 candidate Ann Kinde’s daughter, called the lottery system “fair.”
“I guess it was a good method,” Kindle said. “I think that we have a name that may ring a bell, and people are seeming to associate with us. I think (being) No. 2 (on the ballot) will be OK.”
Republican candidate for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk Keith Brin, who is circuit clerk chief deputy, is not only No. 1 (of two) candidates, but is also the first candidate listed on the ballot.
He called the lottery “fair” and said it was “fantastically organized.”
“Just being No. 1 on the ballot position doesn’t guarantee anything,” Brin said. “I’m pleased I got the No. 1 spot on the primary ballot.”
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