West Central Reporter

He may be retiring, but state Sen. William “Sam” McCann (R-Plainview) has big hopes for the future.

Showing up at the Illinois State Board of Elections recently with his running-mate Aaron Merreighn, McCann delivered more than 65,000 signatures required so he could run as the Conservative Party’s gubernatorial candidate.

“Today is the first day of the rest of our lives here in Illinois,” McCann said after passing over a dolly of petitions to election board officials.

Aaron Merreighn | Facebook

Vying against GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democrat J.B. Pritzker and Libertarian Party candidate for governor Grayson Kash Jackson, McCann, District 50 representative for six years, said he is positive the signatures will survive any challenge. 

“This isn’t a question about who is better than who until election day,” McCann said. 

However, what does make the candidates distinct is the number of signatures needed to run for governor and lieutenant, according to McCann, who noted while Democrat and Republican candidates only require 5,000 ballot signatures, he and Merreighn had to attain 25,000 as third-party candidates.

“The Democrats and Republicans control the process and they don’t want to share that, and the problem with that is that people pay the price,” McCann said.  

His desire to lead Illinois has never been a secret, with McCann making it known in March he could stand with the “political elite.” But, it will not be easy, he added.

“I don’t think anyone would put themselves through what we have put ourselves through and what we are probably going to have to go through by putting ourselves in the political meat grinder that we know is coming for a vendetta,” McCann said.

However, he is not wired that way, McCann said, adding his run is about a calling.

 “This is about doing what is right and restoring people’s faith in our state and our nation,” he said, adding, “We have a wide range of support from across the state of Illinois.”

He added that any initial doubts he had were erased every day by the people he met. 

“Actually I believe the polling that was just released late last week shows that more than either of the two candidates that are already on the ballot, people want someone other than those two,” McCann said.

Hour-by-hour, day-by-day and month-by-month is how McCann plans on running his campaign, he said. 

“We are going to be listening to what the people have to say,” he added.  “I think we are going to allow the summer and fall to play itself out, and let the people make up their mind.”

Prospective lieutenant governor Merreighn said as a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), McCann has always stood up for the union. 

“He can lead this state back to prosperity,” said the former Marine and Illinois Department of Revenue Human Resources representative.

As a veteran’s rights activist, Merreighn said he has a lot of friends around the state. 

“I have five tours overseas, three in Iraq, one in the Mediterranean and one in Okinawa, Japan,” he added.

Concluding the conference, McCann said as a pro-choice opponent, he voted 'no' on HB40, which funds taxpayer-subsidized abortion. 

“If I were to receive a bill from the General Assembly, I would be a pro-life governor,” McCann said.