Lynwood Village President Jada Curry could face a challenger in the Feb. 25 Democratic primary, though the potential opponent faces a challenge to the petition she filed.
Lynwood residents Angela Woods and Denise Copeland-Lilly filed an objection with the municipal Electoral Board, alleging Detonya Armstrong’s petition contains invalid signatures, according to the objection obtained from the clerk’s office. The claim states some signers are not registered voters at the addresses listed, some signatures appear to be forged, some addresses are outside the village, others are incomplete or missing and some individuals may have signed more than once.
The objectors claim the records examination will reveal a “pattern of fraud and false swearing” and an “utter and contemptuous disregard for the mandatory provisions of the Election Code.” They also claim the alleged signature discrepancies show a “pervasive and systematic attempt to undermine the electoral process” and the electoral board “cannot close its eyes and ears” when reviewing the validity of the claims.
Woods and Copeland-Lilly argue all signatures on Armstrong’s petition sheets should be invalidated to protect the integrity of the electoral process as many signatures were either forged or not signed in the presence of the circulators, violating election laws, the objection states. As a result, they seek to have Armstrong’s candidacy declared invalid and her name kept off the February ballot.
Joseph Cainkar, the attorney representing Woods and Copeland-Lilly, said Armstrong appeared before the Electoral Board Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. The board conducted a records examination Wednesday to assess the validity of Armstrong’s petition.
Cainkar said he expects the board to reach a decision after its meeting on Dec. 4.
Curry said the alleged discrepancies are cause for concern from a petitioner seeking the village president seat.
“What it appears to show is a pattern of fraud on her end,” Curry said.
Woods and Copeland-Lilly also filed a separate objection challenging Linda Miller’s petition for village trustee. This objection mirrors the one filed against Armstrong, claiming that Miller’s nomination papers contain the same signature discrepancies. As a result, they seek to have Miller’s name kept off the February ballot and her nomination papers declared invalid.
Cainkar said he believes the two women are solely motivated by their interest as voters who have researched those seeking candidacy for the Village Board.
“They’re interested voters, and so they have a right to do that,” he said.
Candidates seeking nomination in the February primary had from Oct. 21-28 to file their petitions with the clerk’s office.
According to Curry, Armstrong filed a petition to run for trustee in 2022, but was kept off the ballot after an objection was filed due to her listing doctor before her name on the nomination paperwork.
Armstrong, when reached seeking a response, said she did not have time Wednesday to address the allegations.
Lynwood spokesman Sean Howard said the mayor’s slate also includes trustees Randall Blakey and David Lilly, who are running for reelection, newcomer Bryan Hurt, and Clerk Karen Wingfield-Bond, who is also running for reelection.
When Curry took office in 2021, she was the first African American female mayor in Lynwood and first woman to hold the village president seat. Curry defeated Eugene Williams who held the president’s seat for 16 years.
After being sworn in, Curry told the Southtown one of her top priorities was tackling the village’s troubled finances and working to reduce its several million dollars in debt. In 2019, Lynwood was sued for owing over $1 million in annual risk management service fees to a municipal self-insurance association and was placed on a payment plan.
Unlike her predecessor, Curry opposed bringing a south suburban casino to Lynwood and had opposed the proposal from the village and the Ho-Chunk Nation for a casino just east of Illinois 394, north of the Glenwood-Dyer Road interchange. This location was one of four finalists for a license from the Illinois Gaming Board, which was ultimately given to Wind Creek LLC to build the Wind Creek Chicago Southland casino that straddles Homewood and East Hazel Crest.
Ahead of the election, Curry said Lynwood voters are are deeply concerned about property taxes, especially after the Southland experienced the largest property tax increase in 29 years this past summer, causing collection rates to dwindle as residents struggled to pay up.
“In the Southland as a whole, collection rates are low, and they’re getting lower, and this recent property tax increase is certainly not helping,” Curry said. “We are seeing a trend over the last couple of years where our percentages were decent and now they’re declining. So it goes back to the notion of property taxes are increasing and people are unable to pay. They’re losing their homes.”
Curry said the Cook County assessor’s office visited the village over the summer to address the board and assist residents in filing appeals on the assessed value of their homes.
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