Rep. Thaddeus Jones | Facebook
Rep. Thaddeus Jones has has taken a big step toward becoming the first black mayor of Calumet City.
After defeating incumbent Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush in the primary, he now faces off against write-in candidate Tony Quinoz in the mayoral election April 6.
Jones’ long road to becoming mayor started when he became the city’s first black alderman in 1997. He served in that position until 2017. He has been a state representative since 2011.
When Jones ran in the primary for mayor, the electoral board of Calumet City ruled against him saying that he was ineligible to run for the position. According to a November referendum that was passed by city voters, people who hold a position created by the constitution of Illinois are not eligible to run for mayor.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jones after he filed a lawsuit contesting his ineligibility.
The justices put Jones back on the ballot where he defeated Markiewicz Qualkinbush.
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