Shocking Twist: Scandal-Plagued Illinois Mayor Ousted in Historic Township Supervisor Showdown

Following a historic caucus Tuesday night, Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard will lose some of her political influence. Henyard is presently the supervisor of Thornton Township, and the Illinois “super mayor” lost the Democratic primary for the job. Since Henyard’s ticket lacked a certified assessor, her name was not even on the ballot. Eight individuals must be on each nominee’s slate: four trustees, a supervisor, a highway director, a clerk, and an assessor. Rather, Napoleon Harris, a Democratic committeeman from Thornton Township and a state senator from Illinois, won the nomination by a landslide. Later that evening, Henyard was furious about the caucus and its outcome.

Henyard reportedly said, “You didn’t run none of this the right way,” following the caucus. “Illegal, Napoleon.” Harris decided to switch from a primary to a caucus while serving as a committeeman. This is the first caucus the Democratic Party of Thornton Township has held in decades. That evening, the party also declared that supervisor nominees were not eligible to run for other offices. Harris maintained that voters had a voice and disagreed that the procedure was unjust.

“People in Thornton Township may be new to caucuses because they haven’t had them in a while, but this has been the tradition for many other townships around the state,” Harris stated. Henyard has not yet indicated that she intends to run as an independent or write-in for Thornton Township supervisor, but she may still be on the ballot in April. But Henyard was heard yelling that she will sue everyone involved in the process after losing the nomination. Henyard is presently seeking reelection as mayor of Dolton despite being embroiled in multiple scandals for allegedly embezzling money and politically targeting her rivals. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also investigated her office.

According to a preliminary report from Lightfoot’s inquiry of the Village of Dolton’s financial status, the village’s general fund balance was $5.61 million in 2022, but by May 2024, it had fallen to a $3.65 million deficit. Additionally, Lightfoot revealed that Henyard made transactions at Wayfair, Walgreens, Amazon, Target, and other stores using the village credit card. According to one shocking allegation, the troubled mayor had lost $33,000 on Jan. 5, 2023, on Amazon.