Special Election Dates Set to Replace Aaron Schock

By Emily Cahn

Posted March 31, 2015 at 7:26pm

Voters in Illinois’ 18th District will select a replacement for Rep. Aaron Schock this summer, but exactly when remains unclear.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner set the dates for the special elections Tuesday night, just a few hours before Schock’s resignation was official. He chose June 8 for the primary and July 24 for the general. But a release from Rauner’s office said the dates are likely to change to comply with the federal timeline mandated for military absentee ballots.

Illinois special election law stipulates it should be held no longer than 115 days after a seat becomes vacant. But that timeline does not provide enough time to comply with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, designed to allow military serving overseas enough time to mail in ballots.

In order to comply with that mandate, the primary is expected to be delayed until late June or early July, and the special election delayed until late August, according to the release.

Candidates seeking to run must submit ballot petitions by April 20. Republican state Sen. Darin LaHood, son of former Rep. Ray LaHood, is the favorite .

GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried the 18th district by a 23-point margin in 2012, making it a safe Republican seat.

Schock resigned earlier this month amid an ethics inquiry into lavish spending .