In her bid for a second term as Dolton’s mayor, Tiffany Henyard is operating a self-financed campaign, with state records showing no contributions being recorded for the past year other than loans made by her.
She is facing a challenge for reelection in the February Democratic Primary from Trustee Jason House, who has reported about $20,000 in contributions in recent months, according to disclosure reports.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections show incumbent mayors in Orland Park and Tinley Park with large sums available to spend as election season heats up.
Reports show Henyard hasn’t received a campaign contribution since the spring of 2023, and recorded no money coming in for all of last year from outside sources apart from loans she has made to her committee.
The most recent loan, of $25,000, came Nov. 12, and Henyard also made a loan of $20,000 last March, according to campaign finance reports.
At the end of 2024, her committee had nearly $89,000 available to spend, and debts of $58,000, all of which came from loans Henyard made to her Friends organization.
Henyard is under federal scrutiny and also is Thornton Township supervisor, although she was not backed at a caucus for election.
House is running with a group of candidates under the Clean House 2025 ticket, although no filing documents were available from the state board website for that party.
His Friends of Jason House committee showed $4,000 in donations last month, including $1,000 from Clerk Alison Key, who is running for reelection on the ticket. Former Trustee Ed Steave, also running with House, donated $1,000 in November and $1,000 in October.
The law firm Odelson, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, legislative counsel to village trustees, contributed $1,500 in October, according to state records.
A report for the fourth quarter had yet been filed, but at the end of September House’s committee had $23,700 available to spend.
In Orland Park, Mayor Keith Pekau’s Keith for Mayor election committee recorded receipts in the last three months of 2024 of nearly $26,500 and expenses of about $35,600 for services such as printing, advertising and consulting, according to state reports.
At the end of last year, Pekau’s committee recorded $138,000 available to spend on campaigning.
Pekau heads the People Over Politics ticket in the April 1 election, and running with him are Clerk Brian Gaspardo, trustee candidates Sean Kampas and Brian Riordan, both incumbents, and Carol McGury. Kampas is chairman of the party.
People Over Politics recorded transfers into the campaign coffers this month from two of the candidates, with Gaspardo pitching in $15,000 Jan. 8 and McGury contributing $14,400 Jan. 9 from her Citizens for Carol McGury organization.
Last month, Riordan contributed $13,700 to People Over Politics, and Kampas made a transfer in October of $15,000, according to financial reports.
The village’s law firm, Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, contributed $5,000 to People Over Politics Dec. 2.
A fourth-quarter report for the party had not yet been filed, but, at the end of the third quarter, People Over Politics reported just $61 on hand.
Pekau’s slate will face the Orland Park For All ticket in the April 1 election, headed by former village trustee Jim Dodge.
He is running with clerk candidate Mary Ryan Norwell and trustee candidates John Lawler, Dina M. Lawrence and Joanna M. Liotine Leafblad.
Dodge became village clerk in 1989 was appointed trustee in 1996. He did not seek reelection in April 2021.
Orland Park For All was organized in October, and recorded more than $6,500 in contributions in recent weeks, including $2,500 from Dodge as well as in-kind contributions of $3,000 to pay for various campaign costs, according to state filings.
In Tinley Park, Mayor Michael Glotz’s Friends of Michael Glotz showed, in its most recent campaign financing filing, nearly $177,000 available to spend at the end of September.
Glotz also chairs the One Tinley Park party, which includes candidate Clerk Nancy O’Connor and trustees William Brady, Dennis Mahoney and Colleen Sullivan.
In its most recent quarterly filing for the July-September quarter of last year, One Tinley Park reported to the state election board it had more than $231,000 available to spend. Since the end of September, filings show some $11,000 in contributions received.
One Tinley Park candidates will face Tinley Together, a new party formed last year and headed by mayoral candidate Michael Maloney. He is running with clerk candidate Cynthia “Cindy” O’Boyle, wife of Bernie O’Boyle, vice president of the Tinley Park-Park Board. Trustee candidates Melissa Sanfilippo, Eric Schmidt and Matthew Walsh are also part of the Tinley Together group.
Since the group was organized, no finance reports showing contributions have been filed with the state.
mnolan@southtownstar.com