Santorum, Gingrich qualify for Illinois ballot

Surprise Iowa caucus near-winner Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich filed Friday to secure a spot on Illinois’ March 20 primary ballot, adding their names to those of Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Perry.

On the last day to submit paperwork, Santorum filed only 41 candidates for national convention nominating delegates out of 54 possible slots among the state’s new 18 congressional districts.

Perry, the Texas governor, filed only one delegate candidate. Romney, Paul and Gingrich filed full elected-delegate slates.

Not making the ballot nor filing delegate candidates was former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has made a strong showing in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary a priority.

Delegates are the name of the game in Illinois’ GOP presidential primary, and the ability to field them says much about the depth and breadth of a candidate’s organization.

While voters cast a preference vote for president, the “beauty contest” results are not binding in the selection of delegates. Instead, voters must directly elect delegates backing a candidate.

Former state Rep. Al Salvi of Mundelein, co-chair of the Santorum campaign in Illinois, said “everything came together very quickly” to get the former Pennsylvania senator on the ballot. Santorum spent his senior year of high school at the same Lake County Catholic school that Salvi attended.

At least 3,000 signatures were needed for a GOP presidential candidate and 600 signatures to appear as a delegate candidate.

On the Democratic side, home-state President Obama filed for the Illinois ballot along with a slate of more than 125 national nominating delegates.

Also filing in Illinois’ Republican presidential primary was former Louisiana Gov. Charles “Buddy” Roemer. Roemer also fielded three nominating delegate candidates.