March 15, 2011
By Melissa Leu Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — If you are running for office, should you be able to change parties in the middle of the campaign?
Lawmakers are attempting to answer that question with a proposal that a House committee approved Tuesday.
Fortner was referring to Hossfeld v. Illinois State Board of Elections, where the high court refused to disqualify a Republican state senate candidate who the year before had voted in a Democratic primary.
Fortner’s measure would codify the court ruling but also create new restrictions on party switchers.
For example, under this measure someone couldn’t run under one political party’s banner in a primary and a different political party’s in the general election.
If this measure had been law last year, it would have effected at least one statewide candidate.
Scott Lee Cohen, who won last year’s primary for lieutenant governor under the Democratic flag, dropped his candidacy for that office and then ran as an independent candidate for governor.
Cohen finished third in the gubernatorial race. But Fortner’s bill would prevent such flip flops.
The measure is pending before the House for consideration.
Originally reported by Illinois Statehouse News. Read the original article here.