Despite learning more than a week ago that Cook County Clerk David Orr refused to include him on a list of write-in candidates for Tuesday’s election, North Riverside mayoral hopeful George Georgopoulos would not throw in the towel until he believed he had heard the final word on his candidacy.
The county clerk ruled that Georgopoulos had missed the deadline for write-in candidates to file paperwork saying they were running. Georgopoulos believed he had until April 2 to do so, since his petitions had been challenged. However, he was removed from the ballot in mid-January, and the clerk decided Georgopoulos should have filed by the early deadline of Feb. 7.
Early Tuesday morning, Georgopoulos reluctantly announced he was throwing in the towel. In an email sent to the Landmark at 2:20 a.m., he said that he was officially out of the race.
“Monday [at] 5:01 p.m. [I] finally got the official word from David Orr that the state’s attorney will not overturn their ruling,” Georgopoulos wrote. “It will be mailed to me by request, because they never gave it to me in writing.
“I will support Richard Alvarez on election day.”
Richard Alvarez is running for trustee as an independent. Also on the ballot for trustee are three candidates from the VIP Party, Matthew Decosola Joseph Mengoni and Vera Wilt, and three candidates from the TAP Party, Annabelle Downs, Luigi “Gino” Labellarte and Marybelle Mandel.
Georgopoulos said he had taken down his campaign signs as a result of the official word from the county.
“I don’t see this as a defeat, only a learning experience,” Georgopoulos said. “I am here for the community and its issues that affect it.”
