Janice Johnson-Martin with mayoral filing papers5:37 Update: Well, it's official. There will be 11 mayoral candidates on the April 7 ballot. Here's the early analysis: That's a lot of candidates.
Before we get into the field, though, here's some background on the election itself. The clerk's office will select the ballot order tomorrow at 10 a.m. Once the order is set, she'll send the names to the County Clerk, who is responsible for ordering ballots. Right now, the city is holding up the process.
The ballots should be back in time to give absentee voters about two weeks to vote before the election, according to Racine Clerk Janice Johnson-Martin.
Johnson-Martin will order enough ballots for a 75 percent turnout, which is standard for a mayor's race. That anticipates about 54,000 votes - a big number compared to past elections. In 2003 - the last contested mayoral election in the city - voters cast 13,481 votes. (Gary Becker defeated Ron Thomas and write-in candidate Jim Smith.)
As for the field, there's a lot of depth there. It makes you wonder where all of these candidates were in 2007 when Becker ran unopposed. That's probably a testament to the power the former mayor held.
It's impossible to list a front-runner at this point, and it's going to be that kind of an election even past the primary. Unless one candidate really wallops the field - and that seems unlikely - there's not going to be a clear favorite.
One aside: It seems clear the City Council made a good decision in requiring that the interim mayor not run for office. If Tom Friedel was in the race at this point, it's my guess he'd be the leading candidate simply because, well, he's mayor. But he's not, and now the field is wide open.
A second aside: If Facebook is any indication, Helding and Karas are in the lead. Both have had ads on my page in recent days. You wonder how much money will be thrown around in this race. If the campaigns hit their goals, we'll see tens of thousands of dollars circulating in the next few weeks.
4:15 Update: Pete Karas and Kim Plache filed.
2 p.m. Update: Austin Rodriguez's papers were returned to him, after City Clerk Janice Johnson-Martin counted his signatures, rejected some and came up with just 178 valid ones. He's back collecting more. Raymond Fay has completed the filing process. All await the final 5 p.m. deadline... And then the next crucial moment: the drawing at 10 a.m. Thursday morning to determine ballot placement -- whose name will be on top.
Update: Pete Karas called to say he's planning to file his papers this afternoon.
Original post:
Mayoral candidates have until 5 p.m. today to file paperwork for the April 7 primary election. Here's who is officially in, as of 11 a.m.:
Jody Harding
Greg Helding
James Spangenberg
Bob Turner
Lesia Hill-Driver
QA Shakoor II
John Dickert
Jamie Charon
Notable names not in yet:
Pete Karas
Kim Plache
Raymond Fay
John Dickert has a lot of support. He has more signatures than are required. Many people support him because they recognize his successful track record and ability to energize the community and lead us into the next decade.
ReplyDeleteWe are all anxiously awaiting your story on Nancy Pelosi's abuse of the military planes!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, anyone there?
They either don't have enough signatures to make the cut or this is an example of how they handle time sensitive issues. I'm really upset that Kim feels people are stupid enough to fall for the "I'm going to move inside the city limits" idea just to meet the requirements of the mayor. She need not turn in nomination papers as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteanon 11:48 -
ReplyDeleteTell John he should do more than just have commenters cut and paste pre-written statements of support.
What is this about Kim Plache moving into the city? I thought you had to be a resident inside the city to run for office. Can someone tell me what this is about?
ReplyDeleteBut when all your doing is over looking the sand of a beach in the Pacific is easy to do (just post BS about the worst guy running)
ReplyDeleteHey anon 2:05, I think you are asking about if Kim Plache lives in the city and she does not. I am also wondering how she can run for mayor if she doesn't even live here.
ReplyDeleteI heard Plache rented an apartment in town at the Mitchell Wagon Loft apartments.
ReplyDeleteSo if Plache rented an apartment is she actually living there? I can't see how this is right. She rents an apartment just so she can run for mayor? What interest can she have in the community if she doesn't pay taxes here and has nothing to loose. Kim Plache has no business even thinking of running for mayor. She disgraces all those people who are city residents and have put their sweat and work into Racine. There is no way I will ever votre for her and neither should any one else.
ReplyDeleteHow long do you have to be a "resident" in the City of Racine in order to run for mayor. Anyone know?
ReplyDeleteKim Plache actually voted in the February 17th primary in the 1st District. Under state law, in order to cast a vote, she would have had to live in that district for 10 days prior to the election, or she voted illegally. So, she must have gotten her place by February 7th.
ReplyDeleteActually, I heard she voted illegally and they disqualified her vote. I'm sure this could be checked into.
ReplyDeleteWho cares if she voted illegally...
ReplyDeleteFITS RIGHT IN WITH THE REST IN HER PARTY!!!
It will be interesting to hear from some of these idiots, hopefully Ch.25 will play some of the local debates.
ReplyDeleteHey not all Dems are ok with voter fraud.
ReplyDeleteI know one Dem who felt very strongly about preventing voter fraud and he even became a pollworker to help keep things clean. He helped put a stop to a lot of the crap going on at the polls in certain innercity polling places. He was chastised by the Dem party for it though.
Hey JJ you're looking good!
ReplyDeleteHelding and Karas are in the lead according to Dustin Block? Is it because of the ads they placed with racinepost? Seriously, I hope Dustin is able to report the news during this election and put aside his personal opinions.
ReplyDeleteCome on, I didn't say that. I just pointed out Karas and Helding have ads on Facebook.
ReplyDeletesomeone (not me, i'm lazy!) should check into plache's voting and when she moved into her place (if she ever did.) If she violated this law, then she can't be mayor (convicted of an election related crime)
ReplyDeletethe worst thing that could happen is she wins and then this surfaces and she has to leave office
Yo JJ...who's your daddy? Love ya Sity Sista!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone made the connection between Dickert and the Loft Condos that are going bankrupt? And I heard mail to Plache's new address is coming back because they can't find her.
ReplyDeleteBy state law, a mayoral candidate only needs to reside within the municipality for 10 days prior to the election. So, Plache really doesn't need to live in Racine until March 28. (And she can return to her Mt. Pleasant home on April 8th).
ReplyDeleteanon 4:59 --
ReplyDeleteyou are right, but in this case, Plache apparently voted in the Feb 17 primary, so she had to live there 10 days before then (the 7th)
--
I heard her vote was disqualified because she had not lived on the district 10 days but voted anyway.
ReplyDeleteColt, what loft condos re bankrupcy? Rumors abound but I've heard three different rumor versions with three different buildings being mentioned. Are you talking about the Riverloft complex at Sixth and Marquette, or Mitchell Wagon, or Belle Harbor? My understanding is that the monster on State and Main has been largely bought up by SCJ so that the fated Pointe Blue could tout the success of the monster to rise upon the lake itself. So I don't think it could be that one....Has there been an announcement re whatever bankrupcy you are mentioning?
ReplyDeleteCall city hall - mail to plache's address came back addressee unknown.
ReplyDeletePlache is a disgrace - and so are we all if we let her get elected.
ReplyDeleteALLRIGHT!!! John Dickert is THE Mayor!!!
ReplyDeletewhen Colt finds the person posting under his name I will sick Mr.Bill on them! oh no!
ReplyDeleteKIM PLACHE will be a GREAT Mayor!
ReplyDeleteShe has integrity, intelligence and a strong work ethic. My vote is for Plache.
Kim Plache a Mayor? I thought Mt. Pleasant had a village president, not a mayor.
ReplyDeleteKim the Karpetbagger
No I don't want Plache as mayor - she's just not cut out for the job.
ReplyDeleteJohn Dickert had nothing to do with the demise of Riverbend Lofts. I live there, I know. He is selling the units as the real estate agent and has been constantly promoting the development. It's the builder who screwed things up. Dickert is the only reason this place is even here, he saved it from ruin in teh beginning by selling what he has sold in one of the worst economic climates we have seen. If he does this good as mayor under similar circumstances we will be blessed to have him as mayor.
ReplyDeleteI am going to the forums. Especially the one at YMCA on March 17th, hosted by the Racine Tax Payers. They allow the audience to submit questions. All questions come from the audience. Lets see how the candidates deal with the issues.
ReplyDeleteI was not at all impressed with Kim Plache before, why the heck would I want her as mayor. I was so happy when she was gone.
ReplyDeleteI was not at all impressed with Kim Plache before, why the heck would I want her as mayor. I was so happy when she was gone.
ReplyDeleteKim might have won for school board so at least this mayors race will save us all that.
ReplyDelete