Lemont Mayor Announced as Alternate Delegate for Mitt Romney

 Mayor Brian Reaves is one of three area Republicans included on presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's slate of alternative delegates for the upcoming Illinois primary ballot, State Treasurer Dan Rutherford announced Wednesday.

Rutherford, who serves as the Illinois chairman for Mitt Romney for President, announced three delegate candidates from the 3rd Congressional District, as well as three alternates.

The delegate candidates are Ian Brenson of La Grange, Steven A. Daglas of Palos Heights and Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman of Orland Park. 

Alternate delegate candidates are Reaves, Dan Dixon of Homer Glen and George Offord of Lockport.

Delegates and alternates committed to a presidential candidate will appear on the March 20 primary ballot, and will be elected from each of Illinois' 18 congressional districts.

"All of the delegates and alternates are looking forward to being on the primary ballot in support of Mitt Romney," Rutherford said in a press release. "Taking part in the process of choosing the Republican nominee and, possibly, the next President of the United States is important to our democratic process."

In January, that Lemont resident Jorge Ramirez is one of seven Democrats included on President Barack Obama slate of delegates in the 3rd District.

Illinois State University political science professor Bob Bradley  that delegate slates help gauge the strength of a campaign, if not the candidate.  

"That's why you pay attention to these filings," Bradley said. "You have to see who is on these delegate lists. They could be the next up-and-comers in the party. You also get a sense of who is important." 

The delegates, chosen from each of the Illinois' 18 Congressional Districts in the March primary, will go to the national nominating conventions where they will vote on the nominee for president. This year, the conventions will be held in August in Tampa, FL, for the Republicans and September in Charlotte, NC, for the Democrats. 

Illinois Republicans will send 108 delegates in all, but only 54 will vote for a presidential candidate. The other 54 will serve as alternates. Democrats will send 123 to their convention for Obama. 

Delegates are elected individually from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. Voters have to chose the delegate by name; a vote for the candidate is not counted as a vote for that candidate's delegates.   

Bradley said people selected to be delegates are known commodities in the political world, but he adds that "going to a convention is a cool perk." 

But the conventions, Bradley said, will not decide the candidates. The race for the GOP nomination will probably be over long before the August convention, he said.  

"You have one or two candidates who stay in the race no matter what," Bradley said. "But for the most part the race will be over by the Super Tuesday primary." 

Super Tuesday is the multi-state primary on March 6. Voters in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota,  Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia go to the polls and select the GOP presidential nominee.

For more information in Illinois delegates, CLICK HERE.