Two challengers have filed nominating petitions to run against first-term Democratic State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Bridgeview) in the March primary, but Rashid allies are challenging the nominating petitions of the two, Matthew Synowiecki and Vidal Vasquez, in an attempt to knock the challengers off the primary ballot.
“They are supporters who believe that candidates have to meet the requirements of the law to appear on the ballot,” said Clem Balanoff, a senior advisor to the Rashid campaign and the chairman of Rashid’s campaign committee.
“And one thing we do know is that Abdelnasser Rashid’s campaign and Abdelnasser Rashid will be on the ballot because we followed the law, but we’re not sure about the others.”
The Rashid campaign filed the maximum number of signatures, 1,500, allowed on nominating petitions, while Synowiecki and Vasquez each filed about 650 signatures. A minimum of 500 valid signatures are needed. The challengers to the nominating petitions include former Berwyn mayoral candidate Brendan O’Connor. The petition challenges will be heard by a hearing officer appointed by the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Rashid represents the 21st District, which includes most of Riverside and the southern portion of Brookfield. Both Synowiecki and Vasquez live on the southwest side of Chicago. No one filed to run in the Republican primary.
The Landmark called Synowiecki Monday afternoon, but Synowiecki said that he couldn’t talk then. When the Landmark called Synowiecki Monday evening, no one answered and the phone call wasn’t returned by deadline.
It is not clear why Synowiecki is running in the Democratic primary. According to voting records obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request, Synowiecki voted in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. He last voted in a Democratic primary in 2010.
This year, Synowiecki, 34, has contributed a total of $700 in a series of contributions to the political education fund of Local 399 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. According to Balanoff, Synowiecki is the brother-in-law of Meaghan Synowiecki, a former aide to former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke.
Vasquez, 62, appears to be a retired Chicago police officer. He could not be reached for comment. According to state records, the only political contribution Vasquez has made was a $600 contribution in 2008 to the Cicero Equality Committee, a campaign committee created to support candidates in Cicero.
Vasquez has consistently voted in Democratic primaries since 1998.
Rashid, who defeated former State Rep. Mike Zalewski in the Democratic primary two years ago, had just over $247,000 in his campaign committee as of Sept. 30 and has reported raising at least $34,500 since then, according to records kept by the Illinois State Board of Elections.
“We take all challenges very seriously and we will put on a full robust campaign of knocking on doors and meeting with voters and talking with voters across the 21st District,” Balanoff said.