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A record 426 objections were filed by Tuesday's deadline against many of the 20 candidates for mayor, the 350 candidates for aldermen and a handful of candidates for city clerk and city treasurer.

Last week, 15 challenges were filed against mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel alone. They allege he is not a city resident.

Many other objections say candidates collected faulty signatures.

Also Tuesday, Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th) withdrew her name from the city clerk race and opted to seek re-election as alderman. Jackson, wife of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., chose not to challenge state Rep. Susanna Mendoza, who has the backing of powerful City Council Finance Chairman Ed Burke (14th).

Two Emanuel backers, Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th) and Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th), filed a challenge against Emanuel's tenant, Rob Halpin, who has filed his own candidacy for mayor.

The Sun-Times reported Monday that a homeless man who gathered 4,000 of Halpin's signatures also collected 3,000 signatures for mayoral candidate state Sen. James Meeks. Meeks denies any coordination between his campaign and Halpin's.

"There appear to be about 15,000 questionable signatures among (Halpin's) petitions, from sheets of signatures with the same handwriting to characters from children's books. And there's no doubt that dirty tricks are involved," Smith said.

"The reports of rampant fraud are concerning and we believe the Board of Elections is the appropriate forum to get to the bottom of this," Emanuel spokesman Ben Labolt said.

The next-highest number of challenges filed was in 1987 when Harold Washington and his aldermanic allies and rivals sought re-election.

The Board of Elections will consider this year's objections in the next few weeks. Losers may appeal to Cook County Circuit Court.