SUED: Will Co. Clerk Parker Smacked With Cesar Guerrero's Lawsuit

JOLIET — New Republican Will County Clerk Annette Parker, who now oversees election ballots, has been hit with a lawsuit from Illinois municipal election lawyer Burt Odelson. Odelson, of Evergreen Park, filed his lawsuit at Will County's Courthouse on behalf of outgoing at-large Joliet City Council member Cesar Guerrero, who wants to represent the voters of Joliet Township as their next elected township supervisor.

The lawsuit also names Estefany Bonilla, Joliet Township Clerk, as a co-defendant.

Joliet Patch learned there will be an emergency court hearing on Thursday morning in front of Will County Judge Victoria Breslan to decide the matter.

"Candidate prays that this Court grant his request for a declaratory judgment that Candidate is entitled to have his name certified and placed on the ballot as the Democratic Party nominee for Township Supervisor of Joliet Township, Will County, Illinois (after having been nominated and selected to fill the vacancy in nomination of said party for said office), at the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election," Guerrero's Will County lawsuit states.

Two weeks ago, however, Parker announced that Guerrero forfeited the right to be on the April 1 election ballot. Because of her decision, there is no Democrat on the April 1st ballot in the largely Democratic stronghold of Joliet Township government.

There is one Republican on the ballot for Joliet Township supervisor.

According to a copy of Guerrero's lawsuit, the following facts are outlined by the plaintiff in his attempt to get his name restored back to the election ballot for April 1:

• On December 3, 2024, the Democratic Party in Joliet Township held a caucus and nominated Cesar Guerrero to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for Township Supervisor at the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election.
• Subsequent to the December 3, 2024, caucus, the Chair of the Township Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Joliet Township caused nomination papers to be filed with office of the Township Clerk nomination papers including a Certificate of Nomination by Caucus, Statements of Candidacy, and Receipts from filing Statements of Economic Interests on behalf of the nominated candidates, including the Candidate herein.

• No objections were filed to nomination papers of Candidate following his nomination at the Democratic Party caucus.
• On January 29, the Candidate received confirmation that the payment in the amount of $6,550 for civil penalties from the delinquent filing of campaign disclosure report(s) was received by the Illinois State Board of Elections and that said payment was forwarded to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Revenue Fund.
• On January 29, the office of the Will County Clerk gave notice to the Township Clerk stating, “The following candidates for the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election are on the Ballot forfeiture list provided by the State Board of Elections. So, they will have their name removed from the ballot.”
• Candidate did not receive any notice from the State Board of Elections and did not receive notice from the County Clerk.
• On January 30, the Township Clerk provided notice to the Candidate that the County Clerk had removed his name from the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot.
• The action of the County Clerk created a vacancy in nomination of the Democratic Party for the office of Township Supervisor to be elected at the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election.
• The Candidate paid the outstanding civil penalties against his political campaign finance committee.
• On February 4, the Precinct Committeepersons of the Democratic Party within Joliet Township, constituting the Township Central Committee of the Democratic Party for Joliet Township, after providing due notice, held a special meeting of the Democratic Party Township Central Committee for Joliet Township for the purposes of selecting a candidate to fill the vacancy in nomination caused by the removal of Candidate’s name from the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot that occurred on or about January 29.
• The February 4 meeting was held within eight days of the event creating the vacancy (i.e., the County Clerk’s action to initially remove the Candidate from the ballot on January 29. At said meeting on February 4, the Precinct Committeepersons of the Democratic Party within Joliet Township unanimously voted to nominate and select Candidate, Cesar Guerrero, to fill the vacancy in nomination of the Democratic Party for the office of Township Supervisor for Joliet Township to appear on the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot.
• On February 5, 2025, Candidate filed the Resolution along with a Statement of Candidacy and Receipt from filing his Statement of Economic Interests with the Township Clerk (collectively the “Nomination Papers."
• Nomination Papers were filed within the time prescribed by statue. No objections to said filings were filed with the Township Clerk.
• On information and belief, the Township Clerk subsequently certified the Candidate’s name to the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot.
• As of February 10, the County Clerk has refused to accept the certification of Candidate’s name to the ballot and continues to report that Candidate’s name is “removed” for “ballot forfeiture.”
• The Candidate has not received notice from the County Clerk regarding her continued refusal to print the Candidate’s name on the ballot.
• The Candidate has not received notice from the Township Clerk regarding any denial of certification or any reasons or notice received by the Township Clerk from the County Clerk regarding the refusal to include Candidate’s name on the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot following his selection and nomination to fill the vacancy in nomination of the Democratic Party for the office of Supervisor of Joliet Township.
• No reasoning or justification has been provided to Candidate or the Township Central Committee of the Democratic Party for Joliet Township, Will County, Illinois regarding the denial or deprivation of Candidate’s to seek elected office as the duly selected and nominated candidate of the Democratic Party to fill the vacancy in nomination for the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election ballot.

This is how the Will County Clerk's township election ballot looked on Tuesday, Feb. 18 according to its website: