04242007 - News Article - Mystery candidate in E.C. never returns phone calls - Who is Willie McClain? She, Cantrell won't say - ROBERT CANTRELL

Mystery candidate in E.C. never returns phone calls
Who is Willie McClain? She, Cantrell won't say
NWI Times
Apr 24, 2007
nwitimes.com/news/local/mystery-candidate-in-e-c-never-returns-phone-calls/article_6b85f85b-9adc-54b1-9386-bef4f9c11abd.html
EAST CHICAGO | If mayoral candidate Willie McClain has any thoughts about the major issues facing the city in the next four years, she is keeping them to herself.

McClain has made no comments about the race publicly and has not returned any phone calls placed by The Times.

What would motivate someone to file for office but then not campaign? She's not saying, and neither is Robert Cantrell.

One of McClain's co-workers at the East Chicago School City's vehicle maintenance center said he and several other people witnessed Cantrell, a longtime Lake County political operative, pick up McClain in his car about 9 a.m. Feb. 18 at the center and drop her off again three hours later. Two days later, while reading a news article, the employee said he learned McClain had filed for the mayoral race.

Another candidate in the East Chicago mayoral race, Alicia Lopez Rodriguez, accuses Cantrell and McClain of putting McClain in the race to detract from the real issues and dilute the vote. 

Interviewed at the federal courthouse in Hammond after his indictment on fraud and tax evasion charges last month, Cantrell declined to comment on McClain. Cantrell could not be reached by phone Monday for comment.

What's known is that McClain is 58 years old, a Democrat, and is no stranger to the election process. In addition to her mayoral run, she has run for Lake County coroner in 2004 and Lake County clerk in 2006, losing both times.

It's not clear if she has any campaign supporters because she did not report raising any money for this year's race when the deadline for filing campaign finance reports came Friday.

Three of McClain's opponents declined to comment on her candidacy, but challenger Lopez Rodriguez minced no words, saying McClain's stunt insults the American soldiers who are fighting overseas to spread the democratic rights that are being abused here.

"I just have issues with people who put their name in for office when they have no intention to win," Rodriguez said. "You have people who have so little respect for our election process that they throw their names in just so they can change the vote."