By Illinois Review
Independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett is officially headed to the November ballot after Aaron Del Mar and Kristina McCloy withdrew their objection to his nominating petitions.
According to a filing submitted to the Illinois State Board of Elections by their attorney on Wednesday, Del Mar and McCloy formally withdrew their challenge, bringing an end to one of the most closely watched ballot-access disputes of the 2026 election cycle.
Chicago political operative Frank Calabrese also confirmed the development on X, posting a copy of the withdrawal filing and writing:
“Update: The Bailey campaign has withdrawn its objection to Illinois independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett’s petitions. The withdrawal clears the way for Corbett to be on the November ballot.”
The withdrawal comes days after an Electoral Board records examination found Corbett remained 2,323 signatures above the 25,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot.
Corbett submitted more than 37,000 signatures when he filed as an independent candidate for governor in late May.
Del Mar, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, and McCloy were listed as the official objectors in the challenge.
With the objection now withdrawn, Corbett and running mate Carolyn Schofield will appear on the November ballot alongside Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican nominee Darren Bailey, creating a three-way race for governor.
The withdrawal formally concludes the challenge and secures Corbett’s place on the ballot for the November general election.
