Posted by Monique Garcia at 2:25 p.m.
A criminal defense attorney who represented former Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese has joined the growing list of Democrats who want to succeed Scott Lee Cohen as the party’s lieutenant governor candidate.
Another 25 political newcomers submitted their names to the state Democratic Party, bringing the total to 69. Two potential candidates who submitted their names already have dropped out of consideration.
Among the names posted today at ildems.com is Leonard Goodman, who represented Loren-Maltese during the appeals process following her conviction on racketeering, conspiracy and fraud charges.
Another would-be running mate for Quinn is a 25-year-old from Chicago who says one of his strengths is that he "did not vote for Rod Blagojevich in 2006.”
Democrats are holding an open casting-call after troubled Chicago pawnbroker Cohen dropped out of the race following the Feb. 2 primary election. The party began soliciting applications last week and started posting them online Tuesday.
Other applicants include Patrick Arbor, the former chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade, and Bob Arya, a television reporter-turned-adviser to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The applicants will be reviewed by the Democratic State Central Committee, which ultimately will vote on who will be partnered with Quinn on the November ballot.
So far, none of the candidates who lost to Cohen during the primary election have submitted an application, though several have said they are lobbying committee members.