Indicted Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson seeks reelection, faces 2 primary challengers

Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson filed petitions Monday to run for reelection in the February Democratic primary, but will face two challengers. Three trustees also filed for reelection but face challenges in the Village Board race.

Michael Airhart and Rena Poulos will challenge Jackson, who was charged last year with perjury and obstruction of justice in U.S. District Court for allegedly lying in a civil deposition about accepting secret funding for his trucking business from a clout-heavy waste hauling firm.

Poulos could not immediately be reached for comment but announced her campaign in September via social media with a message of “revitalizing Riverdale with integrity and vision together.”

Airhart, a longtime resident who runs the nonprofit organization Taste for the Homeless, said he believes he received “signs from God” to run and bring trust back to the mayor’s office.

“His time is up,” Airhart said of Jackson. “You had your time to take Riverdale to a new level — eight years. Since I’ve been in Riverdale, I haven’t seen anything for seniors, no programs, no nothing … You have to step aside and give somebody else a chance to take it to that level.”

Airhart, who grew up in the projects on the South Side of Chicago, said his past on the surface may not indicate he is the right person to bring change to the village of about 10,000 people.

“I grew up in a gang, and I also sold drugs and got convicted of that,” Airhart said. “The world needs to know there’s nothing to hide with that.”

However, Airhart said since then he has worked to create positive change through 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 the mayor and his wife started their trucking company, Centennial Holdings, in 2018 despite knowing nothing about the business and putting up no capital. The business was run by James and Kelly Bracken, who own Riverdale Materials LLC, which was sued in 2018 by a competing company that said Jackson gave the business special treatment in his position as mayor. The indictment charges Jackson lied on the stand during proceedings in that lawsuit.

Jackson could not be reached Wednesday for comment about the pending litigation or his decision to run for another term as village president. His jury trial is scheduled to begin in September.

The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows Jackson’s campaign committee reported nearly $40,000 in receipts for the recent July-September quarter, and had about $37,000 available at the end of September. Airhart’s campaign reported $100 in receipts 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 as well as Village Clerk Karen Holcomb are running to keep 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