Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard was defeated Tuesday night in a bid to be the Democratic party nominee as she seeks reelection.
Henyard, who is also the mayor of suburban Dolton, was defeated in the Democratic caucus in suburban Homewood on Tuesday night, with Illinois State. Sen. Napoleon Harris winning the party’s support to pursue the supervisor position on the board.
Democrats in Thornton Township had opted to hold a caucus instead of a primary to choose their nominee for the supervisor position, and Henyard was defeated by Harris during a heated vote.
Hundreds of residents waited outside, and dozens more waited inside an auditorium in suburban Homewood.
Henyard blasted the procedures around the caucus.
“All them people outside…they not letting one person in here,” she said. “The people’s voice was taken today.”
Democratic Party officials in Thornton Township defended the caucus, saying the “process was followed.”
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Henyard was first appointed as supervisor in 2022. She has been the subject of plenty of controversy both in her role on the Thornton Township board and in her role as mayor of suburban Dolton, where she is under investigation in a wide-ranging probe of the village’s finances.
Harris has served in the Senate since 2013, serving as the chair of the Insurance Committee and the co-chair of the Pension Investments Special Committee. He graduated from Northwestern attending business school at the Kellogg School of Business Management.
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He also had a seven-year NFL career, appearing in 100 games with the Raiders, Vikings and Chiefs.
Henyard could potentially be a write-in candidate for the position, though supporters hinted that legal action could also follow the caucus’ results.
Meanwhile, several other township positions will be on the April 1 municipal ballot, including clerk, assessor and highway commissioner. Finally, a total of four trustee seats will be up for grabs in the race.
