Surprise Iowa caucus near-winner Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich filed Friday to secure spots on Illinois’ March 20 primary ballot, adding their names to those of Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Perry.
On the last day to submit paperwork, Santorum filed only 41 candidates for national convention nominating delegates out of 54 possible slots among the state’s new 18 congressional districts. Perry, the Texas governor, filed only one delegate candidate. Romney, Paul and Gingrich filed full elected-delegate slates. Not making the ballot or filing delegate candidates was former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has made a strong showing in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary a priority.
Delegates are the name of the game in Illinois’ GOP presidential primary, and the ability to field them says much about the depth and breadth of a candidate’s organization. While voters cast a preference vote for president, the “beauty contest” results are not binding in the selection of delegates. Instead, voters must directly elect delegates backing a candidate.
Former state Rep. Al Salvi of Mundelein, co-chair of the Santorum campaign in Illinois, said “everything came together very quickly” to get the former Pennsylvania senator on the ballot. Santorum spent his senior year of high school at the same Lake County Catholic school Salvi attended.
Full Article: Santorum, Gingrich get on Illinois Republican primary ballot – chicagotribune.com.