The husband of state House candidate Julie Bigham Eggers filed a petition seeking a protective order against her, claiming she threatened to kill him.

A St. Clair County judge denied the request made last week by Richard Eggers for an emergency order of protection. In the request, Richard Eggers also said his wife threatened to commit suicide.

Associate Judge Heinz Rudolf ruled that Richard Eggers failed to prove that an emergency order of protection was needed and that he failed to prove "the factual findings needed per the court's review of the testimony, pleadings and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act."

Julie Bigham Eggers, a Republican from Columbia, is running for state representative in the 116th House District against the appointed incumbent, Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Smithon.

Richard Eggers filed the request Oct. 16. In his written request, he stated that on the day before, Julie Bigham Eggers "threatened to shoot me in the head and grabbed and pushed me."

He stated that in the prior week, she threatened that she was "going to take all of her pills and commit suicide and die on a back road."

Julie Bigham Eggers' campaign declined comment Tuesday.

Richard Eggers alleged in his filing that, two weeks earlier, his wife told her father over the phone "that she wanted me dead and accused me of sexually abusing my kids."

He also alleged that, on May 1, she "hit me across the face full-force, grabbed me by the throat and tried to kick me in the crotch over and over again and said she was going to kill me."

Richard Eggers filed for a divorce from Julie Bigham Eggers in mid-June, but dismissed the filing within a few days. In his petition for a protective order, Richard Eggers stated that he dropped the divorce "after she promised she would get help."

Costello, when asked Tuesday for comment, said: "This is very personal in nature and I wish Julie and her family the best."

The court filing is another setback for Eggers in a race that, in the early stages, was targeted by both the Democrat and Republican parties, and was expected to feature campaign spending in the neighborhood of $1 million.

But GOP money for Eggers began to tail off after a couple of missteps: She said in a candidate interview with the News-Democrat last month that she was "in it for the insurance," because state legislators get good health insurance, and she stood by campaign literature that states she's a lifelong resident of Southern Illinois, despite public records that show she resided in Missouri for at least 10 years.

Democrats appointed Costello to the seat last year after former Rep. Dan Reitz, a Democrat, retired in mid-term. The 116th District stretches from the Cahokia area to Du Quoin, taking in Dupo, Columbia, Red Bud, Sparta, Steeleville and Pinckneyville.

Contact reporter Brian Brueggemann at bbrueggemann@bnd.com or 239-2511.