On the night of July 4-5, Vic Roberts died unexpectedly in his sleep. He had been nominated in the Illinois Green Party primary in February this year, to run for U.S. House in the 19th district. He was age 75 and had long been active in the United Mine Workers Union.

Under Illinois election law, the party may replace him, but must do so within 8 days of his death. No one knows whether he died on July 4 or July 5. The Illinois Green Party is hosting the national convention in Chicago July 10-13 and may be hard-pressed to find a replacement candidate and handle the paperwork. A paperwork error earlier this year resulted in the removal of 4 Green congressional nominees in Illinois.