Three candidates for Thornton Township supervisor in 2025 were removed from the April ballot Tuesday after a township Electoral Board upheld objections to the filings.
Independent candidates Stafford Owens, Nate Fields and Sidney Moore were all disqualified due to issues with their required petitions or other filings. A challenge to Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark, who is running for the supervisor position under the Reform Thornton Township Party, was dropped.
Challenges to the supervisor candidates were made before caucuses for the Democratic Party and the Republican Party were held Dec. 3.
Despite protests from Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, who sought reelection, state Sen. Napoleon Harris won the Democratic nomination. Henyard has a lawsuit pending seeking to overturn the caucus results.
Richard Nolan will be the Republican candidate.
Close allies to Henyard Keith Price, who works is food assistance program manager in Henyard’s township administration, and Michael Smith brought a successful challenge against Fields for failing to bind his statement of candidacy with his nomination petitions, which is required by law. Henyard attended the hearing but declined to be interviewed.
Fields said his removal from the ballot was a mistake of the Electoral Board, which ruled against him 2-1, and said he will appeal the decision to Cook County circuit court.
The Electoral Board for supervisor challenges consisted of Trustee Chris Gonzalez as chair, Trustee Darlene Gray Everett and Clerk Loretta Wells, with Gonzalez providing the sole “no” vote.
The board voted unanimously to disqualify Owens, who did not attend the hearing, and Moore, who was found to have switched parties too recently from Democrat to Independent. Board attorney Tiffany Nelson-Jaworski said Owens was reported to have not received the required number of signatures to be on the ballot.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
