Hal Patton files to run for state Senate as third-party candidate

Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton has filed his petitions to run as a third-party candidate in the 56th state Senate district, according to the State Board of Elections website.

Patton is hoping to succeed state Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, who is not running for re-election.

Patton needed at least 5,201 valid voter signatures to make the ballot. He filed more than 9,000 signatures to make the November ballot, according to a news release from his campaign.

Ultimately disclosure by Democratic Party operatives of a roughly 10-year-old photo of him in blackface during a Halloween party did not keep Patton from filing enough signatures.

So far, Madison County Assistant State's Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe, a Democrat, is the only other candidate to file to run for the seat.

“It has been truly amazing to see the level of support I have been given in this effort,” Patton said in a news release. “I have had people I’ve never met come up to me in the grocery store and ask how they can help. They were genuinely disgusted with the tactics of Rachelle Crowe and (House Speaker) Mike Madigan to keep me off the ballot.”

In response, Crowe said she has never interacted with Madigan, who also is chairman of the Democratic Party in Illinois.

"I have never spoken to or met Madigan, and this is yet another attempt by Hal Patton to deflect from the embarrassing and racist photo of him dressing in blackface that was made public last week," Crowe said.

In order to make the ballot, Patton promoted internship opportunities with his campaign.

How much Patton had to pay canvassers to gather signatures is unclear, but according to state board of Elections records, he put $10,000 of his own money into his campaign on June 18.

Patton did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Challenges to his petitions have to be filed with the state board of elections by July 2.

Patton had filed to run as a Republican, but had signed the re-election petitions of Democratic state Rep. Katie Stuart, which is against the law. Patton was kicked off the March primary ballot, and he had to run as a third-party candidate in order to seek the seat.

He is running as member of a new party, Downstate United, but local Republicans had said they were backing him when he renewed his bid.

The 56th state Senate district includes parts of St. Clair, Madison and Jersey counties.

This story was originally published June 25, 2018 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Hal Patton files to run for state Senate as third-party candidate."