Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson filed petitions Monday to run for re-election in the February Democratic primary, but he will face two challengers. Three trustees also ran for re-election, but face challenges in the village board race.
Michael Airhart and Rena Poulos will challenge Jackson, who was charge last year for perjury and obstruction of justice in a United States district court for allegedly lying in a civil deposition about accepting secret financing for his trucking business from a trucking company. very influential waste transport.
Poulos could not immediately be reached for comment but announced his campaign in September via social networks with a message of “revitalizing Riverdale with integrity and vision together.”
Airhart, a longtime resident who runs the nonprofit Taste for the Homeless, said he believes he has received “signs from God” to come forward and bring trust back to the mayor’s office.
“His time is up,” Airhart said of Jackson. “You’ve had your time taking Riverdale to a new level – eight years. Since I’ve been on Riverdale, I haven’t seen anything for seniors, no programs, nothing… You have to step aside and give someone else a chance to reach that level.
Airhart, who grew up in the projects on Chicago’s South Side, said his background, at first glance, may not indicate he is the right person to bring change to this village of about 10,000 residents.
“I grew up in a gang and I also sold drugs and was convicted of that,” Airhart said. “The world needs to know there’s nothing to hide about this.”
However, Airhart said that since then, he has worked to create positive change by providing groceries and cooked meals to homeless people in Chicago and the south suburbs. He and his wife, Pamela, were honored by the White House last year for their efforts.
Jackson’s indictment alleged that the mayor and his wife started their trucking company, Centennial Holdings, in 2018, even though they knew nothing about the business and had invested no capital. The company was run by James and Kelly Bracken, owners of Riverdale Materials LLC, which was sued in 2018 by a competing company that said Jackson gave the company special treatment as mayor. The charges against Jackson lied on the stand during the proceedings in this trial.
Jackson could not be reached Wednesday for comment on the pending litigation or his decision to seek another term as village president. His jury trial is expected to begin in September.
The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows that Jackson’s campaign committee reported nearly $40,000 in revenue for the recent July-September quarter and had about $37,000 on hand end of September. Airhart’s campaign brought in $100 in revenue for the same period and had $47 available at the end of the quarter.
In addition to the mayor, Trustees Gregory Lewis, Erik LeVere and Bradley Smith and Village Clerk Karen Holcomb are running to retain their seats. Betty Ervin-Robinson is challenging Holcomb and Kenneth Williams, Pamela Henning, Rasheena Thomas and Michael A. Smith are running for village trustee.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com