Linh Nguyen’s 2025 DeKalb mayoral bid challenged

DeKALB – The DeKalb Electoral Board met Thursday to review objections filed against the candidacy of Linh Nguyen as she vies to become DeKalb's next mayor in the April 2025 election.

In the petition objection, DeKalb resident Albert William Vodden argued that Nguyen did not file her nomination papers in the time provided by law for an "independent" candidate for the office of the mayor in the city. He also alleges Nguyen's papers have inconsistencies in the candidate's legal name usage, according to the filing.

In a statement released by her campaign Saturday following Thursday's electoral board meeting, Nguyen said she will continue to fight for her name to remain on the mayoral ballot. She echoed a phrase used commonly by Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign also, while inviting supporters to join her for the next electoral board meeting.

"I am fighting for the right to be on the ballot and to give voters a choice," Nguyen said in her statement. "Join me at 9 am November 19th at the DeKalb Police Station conference room for the next hearing. We must continue fighting for the values we share in DeKalb! We are NOT going back!"

Nguyen is one of three candidates who have announced they are in the running to be DeKalb's mayor in the April 2025 election. Incumbent mayor Cohen Barnes also announced he intends to seek reelection, and John Walker, who represents Ward 7 on the DeKalb City Council, also said he'll run.

In a statement by her Chicago-based lawyer Ed Mullen, Nguyen called the petition challenge a "strategic political move" aimed at her campaign.

"Although the right to challenge candidate petitions serves a critical watchdog function, it is essential to recognize that not all objections are filed in good faith," Nguyen said. "Some petition challenges are a strategic political move, aimed at undermining an opponent's campaign. This can create significant barriers to entry for candidates and defeat the healthy competition of our democratic process."

Mullen and Nguyen said that she had filed her nomination papers effective Oct. 25. It's unclear who she filed her papers with, since the candidate filing window for city consolidated elections does not open until Tuesday. The filing period runs Nov. 12-Nov. 18.

In their brief, Mullen and Nguyen argue that she filed her nomination papers properly and that she satisfied the requirements set forth by the Illinois election code.

Attorneys for the DeKalb resident's objection, Andrew Acker and William Vodden, asked for additional time to review the petitioner's brief.

Mullen and Nguyen said they took issue with the objector's request only to be overruled by the electoral board.

"This objection was brought by the objector," Mullen said. "They raised the factual issues. They raised the legal issues. They had an opportunity to file something in support, whether it be factual information or legal information. They had an opportunity to present their objection. This is supportive of our opposition to their objection. If they wanted to file something, they could have done that."

It's unclear what the fate of Nguyen's candidacy is at least for now, but her name could be removed from ballots, if the objector's petition challenge is supported by the city's Electoral Board, which met this week to review the objection. No decision was made.

City Attorney Matt Rose stressed that motioning to continue the Electoral Board hearing to another date was necessary.

"The issue about whether DeKalb has adopted a partisan or non-partisan system of elections involves a legal analysis of the pertinent legal statutes," Rose said. "The board would benefit from having the parties submit their written briefs about that legal analysis. The candidate's attorney just gave us basically a 100-page with exhibits analysis. It would only be fair to have the objector be able to respond in writing. And then, on top of that, it will benefit the board to have the both of them to analyze both of them."

The next meeting of the electoral board is set for Nov. 19 at 9 a.m., at which point officials will continue the hearing for objections against Nguyen's candidacy for mayor.