Dan Rauschkolb with his attorney Shari Murphy during the Jan. 26, 2017 hearing

ALTON - After the Alton Electoral Board ruled Alton Police Lt. Dan Rauschkolb could not be placed on the April 4, 2017, ballot as a candidate for Mayor of Alton, Rauschkolb has filed to run as a write-in with the Madison County Clerk's Office

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Rauschkolb said the move was one made out of "timeliness," citing a request for judicial review filed by his attorney, Shari Murphy of Wood River, with the clerk's office as well as a law stating a write-in candidate must file as such within 61 days of the election. Murphy filed for judicial review of the Alton Electoral Board's Jan. 26, 2017, decision, which removes Rauschkolb from the ballot due to an objection from Patrick Schwarte. That objection cited a 2016 case of Rudd v. Lake County Electoral Board filed in the Illinois Appellate Court

In that case, it was ruled a candidate cannot declare himself/herself as a partisan candidate for a primary and then switch to a different party or declare as an independent for the following general election. Rauschkolb had filed to run as a Democrat against fellow Alton mayoral candidate Joshua Young in a primary once set to take place in February. However, neither man filed a statement of economic interest, and were therefore disqualified from the primary. Rauschkolb then filed to run as an independent. 

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Young also filed an objection to Rauschkolb's candidacy based on the same grounds as Schwarte, but his objection was dismissed by the Alton Electoral Board due to his failure to provide his address on the objection. Young is currently running as a write-in Progressive Democrat. 

Despite filing to run as a write-in, Rauschkolb is still hoping for the Alton Electoral Board's decision to be reversed by the Madison County Circuit Court. All three members of the Alton Electoral Board, Alderpersons Charlie Brake and Gary Fleming as well as Alton City Clerk Mary Boulds, agreed Rauschkolb should not be allowed to be placed on the ballot due to the ruling of Rudd v. Lake County Electoral Board. 

The electoral board's legal counsel, Alton Corporate Counselor Jim Schrempf, is suspect to Rauschkolb. According the the Illinois Board of Elections, Schrempf donated $500 to Citizens for Brant Walker on Oct. 11, 2016. Schrempf also met privately with each member of the Alton Electoral Board prior to the Jan. 26, 2017 ruling - a move Rasuchkolb found to be suspect.

"I'm concerned with his campaign contributions to Brant Walker," Rauschkolb said following the electoral board's decision. "He has a lot of influence with the board and met with each of them individually. I'm concerned they met privately and not in an open meeting setting. Something this important to the people should not be decided in private." 

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