Boykin seeks investigation of phony campaign signs
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, DOak Park, has called on the Illinois Board of Elections to investigate several hundred phony campaign signs that popped up across his district over the weekend, just days before the primary election.
The signs ask voters to “un- elect” Boykin and refer to the first- term commissioner as a Republican. Boykin’s 1st District covers much of Chicago’s West Side and the near western suburbs.
U. S. Rep. Danny Davis, DIll., joined Boykin to deliver a letter to the state Board of Elections Monday afternoon, asking the agency to investigate the origin of the signs. Boykin believes his primary opponent Brandon Johnson is behind the signs.
Another batch of fake signs bear a striking resemblance to those put out by Boykin’s own campaign, using the same color scheme. Those signs also refer to Boykin as a Republican and call for voters to “un- elect” him.
Boykin said he had not reached out to Johnson’s campaign to address the signs, and Johnson could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Boykin said he saw between 300 and 400 of the signs across the district over the weekend.
“I’m just at a loss for words, really,” Boykin said. “The voters deserve a fair election. They deserve the truth. And what my opponent and those acting on his behalf have done is try to, basically, misrepresent the voters.”
The signs appeared just days after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorsed Johnson to supplant Boykin.
Preckwinkle was in Boykin’s crosshairs for much of the last six months as he was a leading voice against the now- repealed sweetened beverage tax.