A panel ruled Tuesday that Republican-turned-Libertarian Chad Grimm cannot remain on the ballot for the November general election.

Grimm sought to oust Democratic incumbent state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth.

At a hearing held in the Peoria County boardroom, the three-member Peoria County Officers Electoral Board decided Grimm's petitioners broke state election laws because some who circulated nominating petitions for Grimm also worked for state Sen. Dave Koehler, a Democrat.

"I told the panel I did my due diligence by asking them point-blank if they had ever circulated petitions in this election cycle, and they told me no," said Grimm. "It's a completely unreasonable law, and they threw me off on a technicality because Jehan Gordon-Booth did not want to run a campaign and she wants to assume the seat she holds is her seat, not that of the 92nd District."

The challenge to Grimm's candidacy wasn't filed by Gordon-Booth but by Patricia Kenny, a political ally.

When reached Tuesday evening, Gordon-Booth said allegations that she didn't want to run a campaign were "ridiculous" and pointed to her voting record over the past three years, saying she represented all the members of her district.

"There is a process in place, and there are people who successfully get on the ballot every year," she said. "I understand that he may have a degree of frustration, but there are literally hundreds or thousands of people in this state who get on the ballot."

Grimm maintains it is virtually impossible to check if anyone ever circulated a petition for a different party because that would mean going to Springfield, pulling petitions for every non-Libertarian candidate in any race and checking the names against those who circulated petitions for him.

The decision isn't final until a written order is entered by the board, which is likely to come on Thursday. Grimm will have five days from then to appeal. If he chooses to appeal, a local judge will likely hear the matter and could possibly rule before the ballots are printed this fall.

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Panel: Libertarian candidate can't run