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 Georgia law, candidates must be residents in the district they seek to represent for one year prior to an election. If elected, Henyard would be a resident for over a year based on the May 2025 lease.
Opponents pointed to her February 2026 voter registration and driver's license application—nearly nine months after she claimed to move. However, ultimately the board voted 3-1 in her favor, accepting the lease as sufficient proof of residency despite the administrative delays in updating her ID.
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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."
What's next:
Henyard is positioning herself as a political outsider "for the people" who was pushed out by a corrupt establishment.
With the "green light" from the board, her campaign officially begins this weekend, setting the stage for one of the most-watched local races in Atlanta this cycle, which will also include the chairman's race between Incumbent Robb Pitts and challengers Mo Ivory and Marvin Arrington Jr.
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
The Source: Information in this article comes from reviewing Monday's Fulton County Registration and Elections Board and official statements posted to Tiffany Henyard's Instagram. Additional information comes from prior FOX 5 reporting.