By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the March 2026 primary ballot this week, removing several candidates for governor and U.S. Senate after upholding petition challenges.

One of the key rulings was the board’s unanimous decision to remove Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Moore after finding he fell short of legal requirements, submitting only 3,297 valid signatures, and failing to name a lieutenant governor on his nomination papers.

“The election code requires a joint petition, including a candidate for governor and lieutenant governor, and a minimum of 5,000 signatures,” Illinois State Board of Elections general counsel Marni Malowitz said during the Wednesday hearing.

Moore challenged the signature count and said a running mate was not required, but the board rejected his argument and removed him from the ballot.

Another Republican gubernatorial hopeful, Joseph Severino, was also tossed for lacking enough valid signatures, further narrowing the GOP field. Severino’s attorney argued the objector improperly alleged thousands of “not genuine” signatures without reviewing them, calling it a dangerous precedent. However, elections board staff said the objections were valid and noted that even if some challenges were overturned, the candidate still fell short of the required total.

Christine Svenson represented Terry Newsome, the objector of Severino’s nominating papers.

“At the end of the day they’re short,” Newsome’s attorney told the board.

The board ultimately accepted the hearing officer’s recommendation and denied Severino certification.

Remaining on the GOP gubernatorial ballot is Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick and Rick Heidner.

Dabrowski, in a news conference, had framed the governor’s race as a referendum on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s economic record.

“We’re a bottom five state,” Dabrowski said. “If we were a thriving state, we’d have less crime, more growth, more population growth and more investment. This is really an indictment on Pritzker.”

Bailey explained in a recent news conference his campaign is focused on uniting voters and addressing Illinois-specific issues.

“This does not revolve around President Trump,” Bailey said. “I want the people of Illinois to truly understand that. We’ve got our own unique problems and situations, and it’s time that we stop this political divisiveness.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Patricia Tillman will be removed from the ballot. She filed around 3,400 valid signatures. 5,000 were required.

U.S. Senate Democratic candidates Adam Delgado, Jump Shepherd, and Anthony Williams were removed from the ballot for failing to meet signature or filing requirements, while Republican CaSándra Claiborne was disqualified after submitting only 2,976 signatures, well below the 5,000 needed.

“The candidate [Claiborne] failed to produce any evidence or testimony supporting her position that she had filed more signatures,” Malowitz said. “With this finding, the candidate may not be certified to the March 2026 general primary ballot.”

Lamar Chapman challenged U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy, alleging he is not a citizen. Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, was born in India and his family moved to Peoria as a child.

“The candidate filed a motion to strike and dismiss the objector’s petition, attaching a certificate of citizenship and a U.S. passport,” Malowitz said in a December 2025 hearing.

Democrats will have 10 candidates in the U.S. Senate primary, Republicans six.