Tiffany Henyard, usually criticized as “America’s worst mayor” as a consequence of ongoing misconduct allegations, is as soon as once more within the highlight as she makes an attempt a political comeback, having transitioned from Illinois to Georgia.
The previous Democratic mayor of Dolton has switched allegiance to the Republican get together and is now eyeing a seat as County Commissioner for the fifth District in Fulton County within the upcoming major elections.
Nevertheless, her candidacy has come underneath fireplace because the Fulton County Board of Elections examines her monetary dealings and her residency standing in Georgia.
In a current inquiry, Henyard admitted to residing in Georgia whereas nonetheless holding an official place in Illinois. Information point out she continued to obtain substantial taxpayer-funded salaries from her former state.
Paperwork reveal that from March 7 to Could 2, 2025, Henyard acquired $12,007 from the Village of Dolton, although she was defeated within the mayoral major on February 25 of the earlier yr.
Moreover, she reportedly earned $8,614 from her function as a supervisor in Thornton Township through the first half of Could, totaling $20,621 in taxpayer-funded revenue for that interval.
The funds got here as Henyard, 42, allegedly didn’t attend a single public assembly after her election defeat.
Henyard, who served as mayor of Dolton from 2021 to 2025, remained in workplace till her successor was sworn in on Could 5, 2025 and continued in her township function till Could 19.
Tiffany Henyard infamously dubbed ‘America’s worst mayor’ has been given the inexperienced mild to proceed together with her bid for County Commissioner of the fifth District in Fulton County
Henyard is seen smiling broadly when she met former Democratic President Joe Biden in 2024 on the White Home. She has since flipped to the Republican ticket
On the listening to Henyard stated her residency in Georgia began by Could 2025, citing her daughter’s faculty enrollment, an area enterprise and a residential lease that took impact on Could 1 final yr.
In Georgia, candidates for county commissioner should stay within the district for at the very least one yr previous to the election.
The Fulton County Board of Elections voted 3-1 to permit her candidacy to proceed, figuring out she met the statutory threshold.
After the listening to Henyard addressed the controversy in a press release to Each day Mail.
‘I need to handle the residency problem that has been raised towards me. It’s baseless, politically motivated, and with out benefit,’ she stated.
Henyard maintained there ought to have been no query about her eligibility, saying: ‘Let me be clear: there isn’t a legit query about my residency in Fulton County, Georgia.’
She added that she had secured a lease and established a enterprise regionally, arguing: ‘Residency is established by the place an individual truly lives and intends to stay.’
Addressing criticism over holding workplace in Illinois whereas relocating she had beforehand stated she was ‘a lame duck.’
Public information present Henyard acquired greater than $20,000 of taxpayers cash whereas she was residing in Georgia. She claimed she did nothing unsuitable and was ‘a lame duck’
She is working unopposed within the Republican major that will likely be held subsequent month
Within the assertion she added that it was ‘merely a matter of timing through the transition interval earlier than the duly elected successors could possibly be sworn in and formally assume their phrases.’
She continued: ‘And let me handle the ELEPHANT within the room straight: YES, I’m working as a Republican. I’m not working to fulfill anybody’s assumptions about what I ought to imagine, how I ought to assume, or what get together I ought to belong to.
‘I’m working as a result of the individuals of Fulton County deserve sincere management, safer communities, and public officers who’re keen to confront exhausting truths as a substitute of hiding behind politics.’
Henyard is now working unopposed within the Could 19 Republican major for the District 5 seat.
She is predicted to face a Democratic challenger within the normal election in November in what is taken into account a closely blue district.
Dejia Felicity Swindell, one of many Democratic candidates within the race, advised the Each day Mail that voters have raised severe issues about Henyard’s candidacy.
‘Many citizens have reached out with severe issues and I’ve acquired appreciable communication from voters who specific profound concern concerning the integrity of the method and consequence surrounding Ms. Henyard, significantly when measured towards the established info.’
She added that the state of affairs raises broader questions concerning the system itself.
Rival candidate Dejia Felicity Swindell revealed voters have voiced ‘profound concern’ over the integrity of the method surrounding Tiffany Henyard’s candidacy
Democratic candidate Sojourner M. Grimmett stated voters anticipate ‘readability, consistency and accountability’ from anybody searching for public workplace
‘Whereas I stay a agency proponent of democratic processes, as do my supporters and the broader District 5 group, the procedural gaps and structural inconsistencies revealed by this case warrant cautious examination.’
Swindell known as for additional scrutiny and accountability throughout each states.
‘That stated, this case deserves a complete investigation and sustained public discourse to make sure that voters and residents in each Fulton County’s District 5 and Illinois are afforded the illustration, transparency and accountability they rightfully deserve.’
‘Democratic legitimacy requires not solely substantive honesty with the ideas of simply illustration and electoral integrity but additionally procedural compliance.’
She added: ‘Because the youngest commissioner of Fulton County’s District 5, I promise to honor each voter’s voice. Working for workplace shouldn’t be a profession transfer for me; it’s an motion deriving from the collective voice of younger individuals throughout our nice nation who’re fed up with paperwork.’
One other Democratic candidate, Sojourner M. Grimmett, emphasised the significance of accountability when requested about Henyard’s candidacy.
‘Voters anticipate readability, consistency and accountability from anybody searching for to serve,’ she advised the Each day Mail.
‘Management ought to all the time be grounded in integrity, transparency and accountability. These are non-negotiable values in public service.’
Henyard joined the brawl and witnesses stated at one level she misplaced her wig within the melee
Her marketing campaign web site at the moment directs guests straight to a donation web page, with little further details about her platform or insurance policies.
Political scientist Andra Gillespie had beforehand stated that Henyard faces an uphill battle within the race, pointing to the district’s political make-up and her high-profile controversies.
However Gillespie advised Each day Mail that Henyard’s candidacy is unlikely to realize traction, warning that ‘there’s a lot about her candidacy that’s problematic.’
She famous the district is ‘overwhelmingly Democratic,’ including that Henyard ‘is a Republican working in an overwhelmingly Democratic district,’ a mismatch that considerably weakens her probabilities.
‘She’s a newcomer working towards skilled politicians who’re recognized portions of their communities,’ Gillespie stated, declaring that native candidates have ‘deeper roots’ and established voter bases.
Even with out the controversies surrounding her time in Illinois, Gillespie stated Henyard would nonetheless wrestle, including: ‘I don’t assume that she can be an element on this specific race.’
She went additional, describing the bid as largely symbolic: ‘Her candidacy is inconsequential… it will likely be handled like a conceit marketing campaign extra so than anything.’
Whereas Henyard might coast by means of the Republican major unopposed, Gillespie stated the final election presents a far steeper problem, noting it’s ‘extremely unlikely that she can be aggressive.’
Tiffany Henyard’s mugshot following a July 2016 arrest on a cost of prison trespass to autos in Dolton, Illinois
Ronald Henyard, 65, was shot within the neck in an alley within the 1300 block of South Kedzie Avenue within the metropolis’s North Lawndale neighborhood final month
‘The novelty of the candidacy will get her media consideration. I don’t assume it will get her votes,’ she added.
Henyard’s tenure in Illinois was marred by allegations of economic mismanagement, authorized disputes and federal scrutiny.
In February 2025, she misplaced her re-election bid by a landslide when her opponent Jason Home securing 88 p.c of the vote.
The election got here a month after Henyard joined in a brawl at a city assembly after a frequent critic of Henyard took to the rostrum and launched an aggressive tirade on the mayor that ended with him calling her a ‘b***h’.
The activist accused Henyard of ‘sleeping her strategy to the highest’ and being a ‘half-a**ed mayor.’
However earlier than he might return to his seat, Henyard’s boyfriend charged on the activist. A minimum of one different man stepped in to the fracas and the huge brawl broke out.
Henyard was seen bolting into the melee herself, at one level shedding her wig, in keeping with a number of witnesses.
She confronted quite a lot of controversies throughout her time in Illinois. Her administration had been topic to a number of investigations, together with an FBI inquiry into the dealing with of public funds, in addition to lawsuits alleging misconduct and retaliation towards political opponents.
She shared selfies with Biden within the background throughout a go to to the White Home in January 2024
Henyard introduced on social media that she had been cleared to seem on the poll for Fulton County commissioner. She issued a follow-up assertion to the Each day Mail
Henyard has continued to advertise herself underneath the hashtag #supermayor regardless of all of the controversies
She was additionally ordered to pay $10,000 in a dispute with a landlord who accused her of failing to pay hire whereas in workplace.
In a separate private growth final month, her father, Ronald Henyard, was shot within the neck in Chicago.
He survived and she or he posted on-line that he was ‘an harmless sufferer of this random and heartbreaking violence.’
She stated the taking pictures ‘additional highlights what many people already know’ about gun violence in Chicago and known as for ‘stronger motion and significant options.’
Henyard urged Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to ‘critically rethink federal help’ from President Donald Trump.
Henyard was additionally arrested in July 2016 for prison trespass to autos in Dolton. Since she got here into public workplace her mugshot from that arrest has circulated.
The controversies earned her the nickname ‘America’s worst mayor,’ regardless of persevering with to advertise herself underneath the hashtag #supermayor.
