Meet the ‘Super Mayor’: A look at Tiffany Henyard and her scandal-plagued tenure
Tiffany Henyard was accused by the Village of Dolton's Board Trustees for wanting 'power and a money grab.'
The now-former self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” of Dolton, Illinois, is on to her next endeavor after losing by a landslide in this week’s Democratic primaries.
Tiffany Henyard’s tenure as mayor of the village of Dolton has ended after holding the head municipal role since being elected in February 2021.
The mayor posted an Instagram video on Wednesday with the caption, “It was an honor to serve you, Madam Mayor Henyard.” In a Facebook post on Thursday, she wrote, “Trust the Process. Watch my Comeback. Stay Tuned….. wait y’all thought I was finish, hell no.”
Henyard ran against fellow Democrat Jason House. She lost with 536 votes, while her opponent garnered 3,896, or 87.91% of the votes, on Tuesday, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office. She told WGN-TV on Tuesday, “The people have spoken. God must have a different plan.”
Accusations of financial mismanagement coupled with lawsuits and Henyard’s public condemnation of the village’s trustees have led to her time as mayor being criticized. Here is a look at Henyard and the drama surrounding her 4-year tenure as Dolton’s “Super Mayor.”
Who is Tiffany Henyard?
Henyard is a lifelong resident of Dolton who received her business administration degree from Robert Morris University Illinois before working on then-governor Pat Quinn’s “Put Illinois to Work” initiative in 2011, according to Citizen Newspaper Group.
After serving as a trustee on the Village of Dolton’s board for eight years, a 37-year-old Henyard decided to run for mayor and become the village’s first and youngest woman to hold the position in its 130-year history.
“I’ve sat on that board for eight years and I feel that I can do more in moving up in a leadership role. Because right now, today, nothing is being answered, nothing is being done,” Henyard told the Citizen Newspaper Group. “I want to show people that I am their strength and Dolton needs me. I’ve always been there no matter what since day one.”
Henyard began calling herself “Super Mayor” after being elected mayor and then, in 2022, becoming supervisor of Thornton Township, the largest township in Illinois, WMAQ-TV reported. Her self-proclaimed moniker plays on her two now-former titles as mayor and supervisor.
Lori Lightfoot investigates Tiffany Henyard’s alleged misconduct
The Village of Dolton’s Board Trustees, some of whom accused Henyard of wanting “power and a money grab,” hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April 2024 to conduct an independent probe on the then-mayor concerning allegations that she mishandled the village’s finances.
Last month, Lightfoot said the village’s credit cards were used for unauthorized projects, WGN-TV reported. She found that $48,000 in fees were charged to the credit cards for an ice rink, a project that did not have board approval or had undergone a competitive bidding process, the former Chicago mayor added, per the TV station.
According to Lightfoot’s report, the village's spending peaked in 2023. That year, approximately $775,000 in expenses were charged to business credit cards, which included $200,000 spent on Amazon and over $117,000 on travel and business trips to Las Vegas, as reported by WGN-TV.
Lightfoot suggested the village board create monthly financial reports to share with the public and adopt a credit card spending policy, according to the TV station.
In response to Lightfoot’s report, Henyard posted Monday on Instagram: “Trustees been stealing the taxpayers money. Here’s proof!! Ask yourself why didn’t Lori Lightfoot report this, why is everyone involved in the cover up involving the Trustees? The writing is on the wall…. Residents don’t let them continue stealing from you #TrustGod #tiffanyhenyard #istandwithtiff #vote #TruthSpeaks.”
Tiffany Henyard involved in brawl at Thorton Township board meeting
During a Thornton Township board meeting on Jan. 29, Henyard jumped into a brawl between her boyfriend and a community activist who used a slur against the mayor, NBC Chicago reported.
Henyard’s boyfriend, Kamal Woods, got into the melee with Jedidah Brown after the activist called his girlfriend a “half-(expletive) mayor,” according to the New York Post. In a video captured by NBC Chicago, Brown and Woods are seen exchanging blows as the crowd surrounds them.
During the meeting, the board voted to put Woods, who runs the township’s at-risk youth program, on paid administrative leave. Henyard called the board’s decision regarding her boyfriend “political retaliation” and threatened a lawsuit, NBC Chicago reported.
Witnesses told Fox 32 Chicago that Henyard pushed a table out of the way and ran to the back of the room to join in on the brawl. Video obtained by the TV station corroborates the witnesses’ accounts.
Brown is now suing Henyard, Woods and Thorton Township for the brawl, which he said occurred as retaliation for him exercising his constitutional rights to free speech, expression and association, the complaint obtained by CBS News says.
What’s next for Tiffany Henyard?
With pending litigation and controversy following her, it is unclear what the future holds for Henyard.
If House is certified as the winner of the Democratic primaries, then he will face independent candidate Casundra Hopson in the April 1 consolidated election.
The Cook County Clerk’s Office, which told NBC Chicago that voter turnout was at just under 27% for the election, will still need to certify the vote totals. There are 16,500 registered voters in the community, and Henyard only received 536 votes, while House collected 3,896, the clerk’s office said, per the TV station.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.