Mayor Chris Clark drops out of Thornton Township supervisor race

Mayor Chris Clark is withdrawing his bid for Thornton Township supervisor, he announced in a statement Tuesday morning.

“At this time, I cannot, in good conscience, step away from this critical work to engage in the dysfunction that currently plagues Thornton Township—a dysfunction marked by mismanagement and lack of transparency at the leadership level along with a troubling erosion of public civility,” he wrote in a statement released by city spokesperson Glenn Harston II.

“When discourse is driven by chaos rather than constructive dialogue, and personal agendas overshadow the greater good, the very foundation of effective governance is compromised.” 

Read the full statement here.

The withdrawal is the second major change in Clark’s campaign this week alone.

His camp, who had teamed up with supporters of Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, withdrew their objections to Senator Napoleon Harris’ ballot placement Monday. The move cemented the senator’s place on the April 1 ballot.

On Clark’s side, Jerlene Harris, who the mayor appointed to Harvey’s civil service commissioner, was a co-objector. She joined Keith Price, Thornton Township food pantry manager, and Michael A. Smith, Henyard supporters, in their efforts to thwart the senator’s ballot placement.

They were represented by Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, a partner at Ancel Glink. That law firm serves as Harvey’s corporation counsel. 

The group took aim at the senator’s residency. Sen. Harris does not live in a Harvey townhouse, within township boundaries, they argued. Rather, he lives in Flossmoor, located in Bloom and Rich townships.

Objections were expected to continue next week, before co-objectors withdrew their challenges. After a five-hour hearing on Friday, the electoral board decided to enforce a subpoena for Delores McGhee, a woman who lives at the Harvey townhouse who was expected to testify next week.

Others on Clark’s ticket, the Reform Thornton Township Party, included Ald. Dominique Randle-El (5th), Jacinta Gholston, and Rachel Jones. It’s immediately unclear if those individuals are still running.

City Administrator Corean Davis was also a candidate on the mayor’s ticket. However, her name was not to appear on the ballot after someone successfully objected to her trustee petition in December.

Clark’s own administration has been plagued by much of what he said has befuddled the township’s own political discourse; His attempted ascent for supervisor upset many Harvey residents. 

Beginning last year, Clark and police banned clapping, laughing, and other forms of self-expression. Residents use clothing as a form of silent protest. He once cancelled public comment. In the most fascistic form of authoritarianism, he and police attempted to jail a council critic for a crime she did not commit.

And in Dolton, where Henyard is also the mayor, residents condemned Clark’s supervisor bid. After supporters from both camps began working together, Dolton residents dubbed Clark and Henyard “Double Trouble,” on social media.

Nate Fields was knocked off the ballot during electoral board proceedings. However, he filed a judicial review last month, and a judge restored his name as a supervisor candidate. Richard Nolan is the Republican Party’s nominee for supervisor.

Henyard is expected to try and toss her hat in the race as a write-in candidate.