LEMONT, Ill. (Legal Newsline) - On Tuesday, the Libertarian Party of Illinois began collecting the 42,000 signatures needed to place its candidates on the ballot.
A day prior, the party announced the names of the Libertarian candidates running in statewide races.
The list includes Chad Grimm for governor, Alex Cummings for lieutenant governor, Ben W. Koyl for attorney general (Koyl is an attorney from Downers Grove) and Sharon Hansen for U.S. senator.
According to an article in the Illinois Review, Matthew Skopek, the state chair of the Libertarian Party of Illinois, believes Libertarians are gaining a foothold in the state.
"We're seeing tremendous growth in Libertarian membership throughout the state," Skopek said. "This surge of interest is a leading indicator for Libertarian success in the 2014 election and beyond."
He added that widespread dissatisfaction with political corruption, runaway spending, and government overreach are the issues motivating people to become members of the Libertarian Party.
The party must collect 42,000 signatures between March 25 and June 20 in or order to place its candidates on the ballot.
"If we fail, our candidates' campaigns will be over and we will lose the opportunity to spread the libertarian message across Illinois during Election 2014," states the organization's website, www.lpillinois.org/petition.
Other Libertarian statewide candidates include Julie Fox for comptroller and Chris Michel for secretary.
The party's chair, Skopek, is running for treasurer.
From Legal Newsline: Reach David Yates at elections@legalnewsline.com.
Libertarian candidates announced in Illinois statewide races, 42K signatures needed
