Is Hammond teen a serious mayoral candidate?
StoryDiscussionIs Hammond teen a serious mayoral candidate?
By Bill Dolan
bill.dolan@nwi.com, (219) 662-5328 nwitimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 12:00 am | No Comments Posted
Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font size.HAMMOND | Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. denies his supporters are manipulating the ballot to defeat two Hispanic candidates in the city's May 3 primary election.
Former Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez claims McDermott is behind a Gavit High School student —
Alex Andrade, who just turned 19 — becoming a last-minute candidate for mayor.
Dominguez said all the teen will do is split Hispanic votes away from Oscar Sanchez, whom Dominguez supports as a serious Hispanic challenger to McDermott's re-election.
Dominguez said the same cynical politics explains why
Maritza Andrade, the teen's pregnant mother, is running against 6th District City Councilman Homero "Chico" Hinojosa Jr. Dominguez said this is meant to punish Hinojosa, who isn't aligned with McDermott's political agenda.
Dominguez said McDermott's most trusted aide, City Controller Robert Lendi, helped the two become candidates.
Lendi said Tuesday he was outside the election board to witness the final minutes of candidate filing Feb. 18. "The (Andrades) were the second or third group of people who approached me and said I was pointed out to them as a notary public and would notarize their paperwork. Prior to that I never talked to or met them before."
Dominguez said Lendi wouldn't have accidentally helped anyone "file to defeat his own boss. This just corrupts the campaign process."
McDermott said Tuesday he knows nothing about Lendi's role with the Andrades' campaign.
Antonio Andrade, the father of Alex and husband of Maritza, said he, not McDermott, is behind his family's campaigns. "All I've got to say to Roy is that he's wrong. Forget about playing the Hispanic card or the Mexican card."
Antonio Andrade said he, Maritza and their seven children moved from Burr Ridge to Hammond 16 months ago. Andrade said he became dissatisfied with Hinojosa as his councilman after problems at his son's school and vandalism to the Andrades' residence. Andrade said he vowed last fall to end Hinojosa's political career.
Andrade said his son made up his own mind to run for mayor. "Alex owns a small towing company and does Internet stuff on Craigslist. Alex bought our house at age 17, bought a yacht at the age of 18 and a van that pulls his boat. He owns a BMW that he normally drives. He is very mature. I'm proud of him."
Dominguez said of Alex Andrade, "How is he going to campaign for mayor when he goes to school during the day and works at night?"
"I call upon Mayor McDermott to disavow and distance himself from this and as county chairman to conduct an investigation. In my opinion, there is no doubt this is to deceive the voters of Hammond. It's intended to deprive Oscar Sanchez and Chico Hinojosa to a fair and honest election."
McDermott said, "You cannot stop people like Dominguez from lying."