Effect of Residency Challenge

I rather think that the challenge to Mike Henry's residency early in the campaign only helped his successful campaign. Whether those who brought the challenge or not had a strong legal case, it remained that, for the average voter, if you lived in Carbondale for the required period of time, you were a resident, no matter where your utility bill might be sent.

Also, the challenge received extensive coverage in the local papers and on tv, both when the charges were filed and when the electoral commission dismissed them, giving the Henry campaign two shots of publicity, while providing comparatively little mention during the same period of his opponent Jane Adams.

Henry Challenge Rebuffed

It only took about 5 minutes for the Electoral Commission to vote unanimously against the objection to Mike Henry's candidacy for mayor.  The city attorney will prepare a document outlining the Commission's reasoning, which should be available within the next two days.

Only about half the seats in the courtroom were taken this time and only Channel 3 had a camera and reporter, though both the Southern and the Carbondale Times had reporters in place. A brief spate of handclapping and cheers came from the right side of the room, where most Henry supporters sat.

Electoral Commission

The Carbondale Electoral Commission returns from recess this afternoon at 3 p.m. (hope they got in a good game of kickball) to deliver its verdict on the complaint challenging whether mayoral candidate Mike Henry meets the residency requirement for the office. The  challengers argue that, since Henry did not change his voter registration or driver's license until late into 2014, he maintained official residency at his Carterville house.

Henry maintains he demonstrated Carbondale residency by having his mail forwarded to his home, paying utilities at the home and, well, living there for the past year. Most people I have spoken with think the Commission will rule in favor of Henry but I expect the courtroom to be packed. Hopefully, the Commission won't take 2+ hours to deliver their decision.

Electoral Commision

Electoral Commission reconvenes this Monday at 3 p.m.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that: On December 15, 2014, at 3:00 p.m., Donald D. Monty, Acting Mayor; Jennifer R. Sorrell, City Clerk; and Corene McDaniel, City Councilwoman, constituting the Municipal Officers Electoral Board for the hearing and passing upon of objections to nomination papers for candidates in the City of Carbondale, will reconvene the hearing of December 8, 2014.

I have heard second hand that the plaintiffs in the case are not expecting to prevail in their challenge to Mike Henry's candidacy.

Mike Henry Challenge Hearing

Sat in on the the Electoral Commission hearing for the challenge to Mike Henry's candidacy for mayor this afternoon.  That's Henry sitting in the witness stand. Darryl Dunham is in the black coat with his back to the camera, SIUC Archaeology Professor Andrew Balkansky in the grey jacket,  and Henry's lawyer is the woman in the dark jacket to the right. Mayor Don Monty, Councilwoman Corene McDaniel and City Clerk Jennifer Sorrell facing the camera.

About 3 dozen onlookers and three cameras filled the room behind the railing, almost all of them pro-Henry. A number of them snickered several times at comments Henry made in response to Dunham's questioning and two gentlemen behind me kept running commentary on Dunham, all negative.

Dunham, as the one questioning Henry's status, spent most of his time questioning Henry and introducing various documents into evidence, including a water bill, voter registration card, tax bill and driver's license, all to show that Henry still maintained his primary legal residence in Carterville as of late 2014, well past the date by which he had to establish residence in Carbondale in order to run for mayor. Dunham also cited the case of Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel, who faced a challenge to his Chicago residency when first running for mayor, indicating that Emmanuel proved residence by just these documents, therefore they should be applicable in proving Henry still had a Carterville residence.  Henry claimed these were all either oversights or, in the case of the water bill, a malfunctioning meter showing water usage after Henry said he had moved out of the Carterville residence.

Henry's lawyer, whose name I did not catch, introduced a number of documents and bills into evidence, all showing Henry's residence as a W. Hill St. address. She also put Henry's wife Terri on the stand to testify that she had properly changed her voter reregistration and driver's license to the new residence, arguing that previous court cases had ruled that other members of a family unit could provide evidence of residency. She also introduced some $10,000 worth of improvements to the property and the testimony of neighbors as to Henry's continuous residency into evidence.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Mayor Monty recessed the hearing. Since either members of the commission or the lawyers were unavailable the rest of the week, the commission will reconvene Monday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. and issue its ruling.