Tiffany Henyard, the current mayor of Dolton, Illinois, has announced her reelection bid despite facing numerous controversies during her first term in office. Henyard, who refers to herself as the “super mayor” of Dolton, did not do much fundraising leading up to her announcement. Her campaign, Friends of Tiffany Henyard, did not report any contributions or expenses between July and September, according to the most recent campaign disclosure report. Despite the lack of fundraising, she has loaned her campaign $20,000 and has nearly $64,000 in funds, according to campaign finance information.
The mayor is facing accusations of misusing taxpayer funds in Dolton and is listed as the treasurer of her own campaign. She will be running against Dolton board colleague Jason House, who is part of a team of candidates called the Clean House slate. House, along with other incumbent trustees opposed to Henyard, hopes that residents will vote for them to continue the work they have been doing. Division within the village has been increasing, with Henyard and some board members meeting at different times and places, leading to disruptions and chaos during meetings.
Henyard recently filed a lawsuit asking a judge to determine village hall as the primary site for municipal business and to cancel any official acts taken by other trustees at meetings held at another location. Dolton and the town of Thornton Township, which Henyard leads as supervisor, have been hit with federal subpoenas earlier this year. Her political committee and charity, along with associates, were also subpoenaed. Despite the legal scrutiny, Henyard has denied any wrongdoing. Trustee Kiana Belcher, who is running with House, criticized Henyard’s reelection run as “ridiculous” and accused her of sowing chaos in the village.
Despite the criticisms against her, Henyard remains confident that Dolton voters will support her in the upcoming election. Through her lawyer, she expressed her commitment to fighting for the village for the next four years. The Democratic primary for the election is set to take place next February. While some residents and officials are against Henyard’s leadership, with accusations of mismanagement and chaos, she remains determined to stay in power. The upcoming election will be a test of the community’s support and whether they believe Henyard is the right person to lead Dolton for another term.
