Raja Prevails in Petition Challenge

From the Campaign Office of Raja Krishnamoorthi for Comptroller

Former Deputy Illinois Treasurer Raja (RAH-jah) Krishnamoorthi (krish-nuh-MOOR-thee) today prevailed in beating back a challenge to his nominating petitions for Illinois State Comptroller which means Krishnamoorthi's name will appear on the February ballot.

“I’ve been running for this office for months with detailed plans to protect the taxpayers and open up state government to its citizens,” Krishnamoorthi said. “My campaign collected thousands of signatures from voters throughout our state who are tired of business as usual and want to bring real reform and openness to Springfield.”

Krishnamoorthi filed the maximum number of 10,000 nominating petition signatures on October 26 with the Illinois State Board of Elections. More than double the 5,000 signatures required by state law to get on the February primary ballot, the signatures for Krishnamoorthi came from counties throughout the state of Illinois.
Thousands of those signatures came from near his hometown of Peoria where his parents have lived in the same house for nearly 30 years.

Even so, the petition challenge questioned the validity of Krishnamoorthi's own father's signature on the nominating petitions.

"Questioning the legitimacy of my own father's signature highlights what is wrong in Illinois politics," Krishnamoorthi said. "The time for these insider games and insider politics is over. Taxpayers need a watchdog to protect their hard earned dollars, and I look forward to serving the people of Illinois as their financial watchdog."

Krishnamoorthi served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, helping to establish an anti-corruption unit, and as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois, he helped bring significant reforms to the office and oversaw the custody and administration of billions of dollars in state funds. Previously, Krishnamoorthi served as a board member and audit committee chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority where he helped thousands of Illinois families find affordable housing.

If elected, Krishnamoorthi would become the first Asian American to hold elected statewide office in Illinois. A lawyer and policy expert, Krishnamoorthi, 36, worked on President Barack Obama’s successful 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate, serving first as issues director and then as a senior adviser. Krishnamoorthi also advised Obama during his presidential campaign and his 2000 congressional campaign.