DOLTON, Ill. – Monday marked a victory for a candidate hoping to oust Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard in next year’s election.
An ally of the embattled South Suburban politician, who was formerly employed by the village, filed an objection that sought to remove Casundra Hopson-Jordan, a member of the “Rebuilding Dolton Party,” from the ballot.
Election attorney Perry Abbasi, who represented Hopson-Jordan and D’Nasha Lee Harrison, a candidate running for trustee who also faced objection by Henyard’s ally, said the petition cited outdated election law about needing a full slate to run.
“It’s about democracy and it’s about hypocrisy,” said Abbasi.
Abbasi said the two candidates had close to 1,000 signatures from voters in Dolton that wanted to see them on the ballot.
At a hearing Monday, the petitioner, Demarkus Criggley, withdrew his objection to both nominations, a move unopposed by the village electoral board, which unanimously accepted.
Due to a conflict of interest, Henyard and Senior Trustee Jason House, also running for mayor, were not allowed to preside over the objection to Hopson-Jordan. Two members of the public were appointed by the Chief Judge of Cook County in their place. Both were expected to preside over the matter of Harrison’s case, but Henyard was a no-show, and House participated by phone.
In February, Henyard and House will battle it out to earn the Democratic nomination for mayor, and Hopson-Jordan will be on the general election ballot against the winner.
“I’m glad the challenge period has concluded so that residents can be informed of their options in the upcoming election,” House shared in a statement with WGN News.
He added, “I am proud of the work that Clerk Key, Trustees Belcher, Norwood, Tammie Brown and I have accomplished to serve the people of Dolton. Together, we have focused on building a stronger, more united community, and we remain committed to addressing the needs and priorities of our residents. As this campaign moves forward, I am asking the voters to support our team and our vision for a brighter future for Dolton. We are ready to continue working tirelessly to make Dolton a place where everyone can thrive.”
Hopson-Jordan said she is looking to bring a new era of leadership to Dolton.
“I don’t really think they take this serious. It’s a big game to them and I don’t think they understand that the more confusion and more back and forth that we do, no one suffers but the people of the village,” said Hopson-Jordan.
Not long after Criggley filed the now-dropped objections, the attorney for Henyard, who serves as Thornton Township Supervisor, filed a lawsuit claiming she was illegally blocked from participating in the Democratic Caucus slating meeting. It was quickly dropped and re-filed, removing Dixmoor’s mayor as Henyard’s co-plaintiff.
The latest developments in the village are just another layer in the ongoing saga in the south suburb facing a financial deficit in the millions. Henyard remains under federal investigation and has come under scrutiny after WGN Investigates reporting has revealed lavish trips taken on the dime of taxpayers.
“It’s sickening to me. I’ve been out here 33 years and never experienced anything like what’s happening here,” said Darrell Lathan.
Many residents say the ongoing drama is a distraction from the issues facing Dolton’s residents.
“The real business isn’t being done because of all of this nonsense,” said Lathan. “We need some action; somebody that’s actually gonna do their job, how about that, somebody that’s actually going to work for the people, not themselves and have pictures all over the place. We don’t need that.”
WGN News has reached out to the attorney representing Criggley for a statement on Monday’s developments.
