Becky Cloyd’s appeal to get her name back on the ballot in the Pekin mayoral race for the April election will be heard Jan. 5 in Tazewell County Circuit Court.
Cloyd, a current city council member, is seeking to overturn the Pekin Electoral Board’s decision to uphold challenges to her nominating petitions on a 2-1 vote.
In a statement Tuesday, Cloyd said there is “no legal basis” for the decision made by the board that was chaired by outgoing Mayor Mark Luft. Cloyd and Luft have been locked in a heated political struggle for power.
“I am confident this politically motivated decision will not stand up in court and I will be reinstated as a candidate for election on the April 4 ballot,” Cloyd said in the statement.
Luft opted against seeking another term after Cloyd led a push to terminate City Manager Mark Rothert in October.
The other mayoral candidates are current council member Dave Nutter and former Tazewell County Treasurer Mary Burress. Luft has publicly endorsed Burress as his preferred successor.
Cloyd has said the electoral board’s decision is tainted by a “clear conflict of interest” after Luft did not recuse himself from the hearing on the nomination challenges.
She said she’s looking forward to making “what I believe is a strong case” for reinstatement on the ballot.
“The people of Pekin deserve to have a real choice in the election for mayor and I am confident the court will rule in my favor,” she said.
