Fair, Coe, faces February runoff

UPDATE
This year Keith Fair and Alderman Jeff Coe will have two newcomers; Renee Mullen and Mercedes Dzindzeleta, to contend with in a primary election which will be held the first Tuesday in February.

Fair had said he believed that candidates were being recruited by a new organization created to infuse more candidates into the local electoral process. A group of former workers who supported Pres. elect Barack Obama and worked out of his office in Racine have organized to recruit local candidates to run in the school board, county board, and city council elections.

He said that the new formed group who call themselves Community for Change-" Yes We Can," recruited a downtown resident (Mercedes Dzindzeleta) in an attempt to derail his campaign against Coe.

A coordinator for the "Yes We Can" group, told the Insider News by phone that the assertion that the group is soliciting candidates is not true. "We do a lot of things," she said, "but recruiting candidates is something the organization is not interested in." She added, "We have nothing to say about it (who runs for office), we wish everyone well. That's up to everyone's personal choice," she said.

Fair said that he is sticking by the information provided to him and believes the early primary will have little impact on his aggressive campaign to be elected to the position that both Fair and Coe have been seesawing back and fourth to hold. Fair is running for the City Council's First District seat for the third straight election. Fair was contacted on Monday and confirmed that he knew about a third candidate. .

In 2005, Fair was elected to the council by three votes over incumbent Jeff Coe. In 2007, Coe returned the favor by beating Fair 217-168. Fair also tried to run against Coe in 2003, but was left off the ballot after then City Clerk Karen Norton ruled Fair did not have enough valid signatures.

Fair, 56, a former Kenosha Police officer is the owner of Fair’s Investigation Service, located in downtown Racine, said that the next alderman has to be concerned about all neighborhoods in this diverse district. “As alderman, I can not just be connected to downtown and say my job is done. I have to represent people throughout the District,” he explained.

Fair served as Deputy Field Organizer for the President-Elect Barack Obama's campaign in Racine this summer and said that the experience gave him the opportunity to meet people throughout the 1st District and learn more about their needs in a struggling economy. He believes that although things seem in a slump at present, there is much that can be done to improve the city by neighbors working together. “These are very exciting times for me as well as others with the election of Barack Obama. I would like to see some enthusiasm at the local level and I am looking forward to serving on the city council once again,” he states.

On Monday at the Chancery restaurant, likewise, Alderman Coe confirmed that he was also aware of a third person running for the first district seat that he now holds.

Young Makes Bid to Be Seated on School Board
Stella Young, a counselor at Gateway Technical College, and a long time community educator, told the Insider News Sunday that she would be a candidate for the Racine Unified School District.

Young, who is well known for educational reform in an attempt to narrow the achievement gaps between minorities and their counter parts has previously served on the board. At this time no other minority candidates have announced their intention to be seated on the nine member board.

Last year Karen Norton and Rev. Melvin Hargrove, both African-Americans, ran and Hargrove was the highest vote getter in the contest. At this time, there is no word that Norton will seek to be elected to the board this spring.