Fulton board approves Tiffany Henyard for commissioner race

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Tiffany Henyard at a Fulton County Board of Elections meeting on April 20, 2026. (FOX 5)

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County election officials cleared a controversial former Illinois mayor to run for a commissioner seat Monday following a detailed investigation into her residency claims.

What we know:

The Fulton County Registration and Elections Board voted Monday to accept Tiffany Henyard as a candidate for the District 5 commissioner seat. Henyard is running as the only Republican in an area that typically favors Democratic candidates.

The challenge centered on a lease Henyard provided for a home in the Chatterton Springs subdivision in South Fulton, which was dated May 1, 2025. Board Chair Sherri Allen noted that Henyard was still serving as a mayor and township supervisor in Illinois during that period, with her term there officially ending May 5, 2025.

Under the law, candidates must be residents of Fulton County for one year. If elected, Henyard would be a resident for over a year based on the May 2025 lease. 

Fulton Elections Board hears residency challenge

The political future of Tiffany Henyard in Georgia is on the line today as the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections held a special called meeting to determine her eligibility for the District 5 Commission seat. The hearing, held at the Elections Hub in Union City, follows a delay from earlier this month after the board failed to properly notify Henyard of the original court date.

What they're saying:

"Having heard the evidence in the challenge hearing with respect to candidate Tiffany Hanyard, having reviewed her lease agreement that was in May of 25, having seen evidence that payment was made, having weighed the other evidence that was presented at the hearing, I make a motion that we accept her candidacy as having met the statutory requirement for having established residency in Georgia," board member Douglass Selby said.

Chairperson Sherri Allen emphasized the board's limited scope, stating, "We are just to determine residency. It is the voters of Fulton County who will determine whether or not a candidate is elected. It's not the board's job to do that. Our job is to make sure that residency was sufficiently established pursuant to OCGA 2126."

The backstory:

Henyard moved to Georgia after being ousted as mayor of Dolton, Illinois. Her time in the Chicago suburb was marked by several years of controversy regarding her behavior and the spending of taxpayer dollars, including a 2024 FBI corruption probe.

Despite the federal investigation, no charges were filed against Henyard. She ultimately lost her re-election bid in a landslide last year following allegations of lavish spending during her administration.

What we don't know:

The board did not address how Henyard's past controversies in Illinois might impact her standing with Georgia voters, maintaining that those issues were not the board's concern.

Dig deeper:

In March, Henyard called on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to accept federal troops after her father was shot in the neck in Chicago. She urged leaders to work with President Donald J. Trump, citing National Guard deployments in Memphis, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans as successful models for reducing crime.

"My family has been directly affected by the senseless gun violence that continues to plague Illinois," Henyard wrote in a statement. "I respectfully urge Governor Pritzker to reconsider working in partnership with President Donald J. Trump to ensure the safety and well-being of the people you were elected to serve."

RELATED:

• Tiffany Henyard says father shot in Chicago, urges Pritzker and Johnson to accept help from Trump on crime
• Fulton County probes residency of candidate Tiffany Henyard
• Controversial politician vies for Fulton County commissioner seat