Rock Island attorney Eric Reyes' candidacy as an independent for Congress has been challenged.

Mr. Reyes failed to collect the 5,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot in November for the 17th District election by the June 25 deadline, but he submitted his petitions to the Illinois State Board of Elections anyway.

He argued that the 5,000-signature threshold was unfair when the Republican and Democrat candidates only needed 600 signatures and he had gathered more than that number.

On Monday, Andrew Douglas, of Milan, and Amy Posateri, of Rock Island, filed a formal objection to Mr. Reyes' candidacy, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Mr. Reyes described the two as "supporters of (Democrat candidate) Cheri Bustos" and he said he would continue his attempt to get on the ballot in November.

The state board of elections will meet next Monday for a first hearing on the objections. A date for hearing in Mr. Reyes' case could be set then.

Mr. Reyes has argued that the barriers against independent candidates running for Congress in Illinois run contrary to the state's constitution, which calls for all elections to be "free and equal." He initially had entered the 17th District election as a Democrat but dropped out before the primary election.

"As I've said all along, I have every intention of fighting this battle, on behalf of the voters, through the court system," Mr. Reyes said.

"These objectors have chosen to spend tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and to waste thousands of dollars of taxpayer money attempting to eliminate a choice the voters deserve to have."

The fact that he voted as a Democrat in the primary also could hurt his chances of running as an independent. A new state law prohibits anyone who voted in a primary election running as an independent in the following general election.

Mr. Reyes had asked both local Democrats and Republicans not to object to his candidacy.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Colona, promised not to do so, but Ms. Bustos, of East Moline, declined.

The only request to the state board of elections to review or copy Mr. Reyes' petitions was made by the Illinois AFL-CIO's political director Bill Looby.

The AFL-CIO has endorsed Ms. Bustos in the 17th District election. Mr. Looby said last week that the AFL-CIO would do what it could to help the candidates the organization was supporting.