Tiffany Henyard Denied Place On Ballot To Run For Office Again
Henyard first ran for mayor in 2019 but lost to incumbent Lori Lightfoot. After the election, Henyard alleged that there were irregularities in the voting process. She filed a lawsuit challenging the results but was ultimately unsuccessful.
In April 2023, Henyard announced that she would run for mayor again. She submitted her nominating petitions to the BOE in June. However, the BOE found that only 1,883 of the 12,500 signatures submitted were valid.
Henyard has vowed to challenge the BOE's decision in court. She has argued that the BOE used overly strict criteria to invalidate her signatures. Henyard has also accused the BOE of being politically motivated, as she is a vocal critic of Lightfoot.
The BOE, however, has defended its decision, stating that it followed the law in determining which signatures were valid.
Henyard's removal from the ballot is a significant development in the Chicago mayoral race. She was considered one of the leading challengers to Lightfoot. Her absence from the race could make it easier for Lightfoot to win re-election.
However, Henyard's supporters are determined to continue fighting for her. They have launched a petition drive to get her back on the ballot. The deadline to submit signatures is September 19th.
"This is a huge setback for Tiffany Henyard's campaign," said political analyst David Axelrod. "She was a strong candidate and had a real chance of winning. Her absence from the race will definitely benefit Mayor Lightfoot."
"The BOE has a responsibility to ensure that only valid signatures are counted," said election lawyer Michael Pildes. "However, the criteria used to determine validity should not be so strict that it disenfranchises legitimate candidates."
- April 2023: Tiffany Henyard announces her candidacy for mayor.
- June 2023: Henyard submits nominating petitions to the BOE.
- August 2023: BOE finds that Henyard's signatures are insufficient.
- September 19th, 2023: Deadline to submit additional signatures.
The decision to deny Tiffany Henyard a place on the ballot is a controversial one. It remains to be seen whether Henyard will be successful in her legal challenge. However, her absence from the race could have a significant impact on the outcome of the Chicago mayoral election.