Tiffany Henyard: 'America's worst mayor' faces controversy in new campaign
Ex-Illinois mayor's Georgia run sparks residency and pay controversy
She's been dubbed 'America's worst mayor' after repeated allegations of misconduct and Tiffany Henyard faces yet more controversy around her political comeback following her move from Illinois to Georgia.
The former Democratic Dolton mayor is now running for election in next month's primary for County Commissioner of the 5th District in Fulton County after flipping to the Republican ticket.
But her bid faced scrutiny this week as she was probed by the Fulton County Board of Elections over her finances and how long she has been resident in Georgia.
During questioning she admitted she was living in Georgia while still holding elected office in Illinois, as records show she continued to collect thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded paychecks from the northern state.
Public records show Henyard received $12,007 from the Village of Dolton between March 7, 2025, and May 2, 2025, despite having already lost her mayoral primary election on February 25 last year.
She is also estimated to have collected $8,614 from her second role as supervisor of Thornton Township during the first two weeks of May, bringing her total taxpayer-funded earnings during that period to $20,621.
The payments came as Henyard, 42, allegedly failed to attend a single public meeting after her election defeat.
Henyard, who served as mayor of Dolton from 2021 to 2025, remained in office until her successor was sworn in on May 5, 2025 and continued in her township role until May 19.
At the hearing Henyard said her residency in Georgia started by May 2025, citing her daughter's school enrollment, a local business and a residential lease that took effect on May 1 last year.
In Georgia, candidates for county commissioner must live in the district for at least one year prior to the election.
The Fulton County Board of Elections voted 3-1 to allow her candidacy to proceed, determining she met the statutory threshold.
After the hearing Henyard addressed the controversy in a statement to Daily Mail.
'I want to address the residency challenge that has been raised against me. It is baseless, politically motivated, and without merit,' she said.
Henyard maintained there should have been no question about her eligibility, saying: 'Let me be clear: there is no legitimate question about my residency in Fulton County, Georgia.'
She added that she had secured a lease and established a business locally, arguing: 'Residency is established by where a person actually lives and intends to remain.'
Addressing criticism over holding office in Illinois while relocating she had previously said she was 'a lame duck.'
In the statement she added that it was 'simply a matter of timing during the transition period before the duly elected successors could be sworn in and officially assume their terms.'
She continued: 'And let me address the ELEPHANT in the room directly: YES, I am running as a Republican. I am not running to satisfy anyone's assumptions about what I should believe, how I should think, or what party I should belong to.
'I am running because the people of Fulton County deserve honest leadership, safer communities, and public officials who are willing to confront hard truths instead of hiding behind politics.'
Henyard is now running unopposed in the May 19 Republican primary for the District 5 seat.
She is expected to face a Democratic challenger in the general election in November in what is considered a heavily blue district.
Dejia Felicity Swindell, one of the Democratic candidates in the race, told the Daily Mail that voters have raised serious concerns about Henyard's candidacy.
'Many voters have reached out with serious concerns and I have received considerable communication from voters who express profound concern about the integrity of the process and outcome surrounding Ms. Henyard, particularly when measured against the established facts.'
She added that the situation raises broader questions about the system itself.
'While I remain a firm proponent of democratic processes, as do my supporters and the broader District 5 community, the procedural gaps and structural inconsistencies revealed by this case warrant careful examination.'
Swindell called for further scrutiny and accountability across both states.
'That said, this situation merits a comprehensive investigation and sustained public discourse to ensure that voters and citizens in both Fulton County's District 5 and Illinois are afforded the representation, transparency and accountability they rightfully deserve.'
'Democratic legitimacy requires not only substantive honesty with the principles of just representation and electoral integrity but also procedural compliance.'
She added: 'As the youngest commissioner of Fulton County's District 5, I promise to honor every voter's voice. Running for office is not a career move for me; it's an action deriving from the collective voice of young people across our great nation who are fed up with bureaucracy.'
Another Democratic candidate, Sojourner M. Grimmett, emphasized the importance of accountability when asked about Henyard's candidacy.
'Voters expect clarity, consistency and accountability from anyone seeking to serve,' she told the Daily Mail.
'Leadership should always be grounded in integrity, transparency and accountability. Those are non-negotiable values in public service.'
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