Since most conversations about the Milwaukee County Board are now focused on attempts to reduce supervisors’ positions to part-time ones, it’s easy to overlook two races—in districts 2 and 17—that will be decided by the April 2 general election. It would be a mistake to ignore these elections, however, since the winners could support or override Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele’s attempts to veto votes taken by the board.
Nikiya Harris vacated her position serving the Second District to take office in the state Senate. The two candidates who advanced out of the Feb. 19 primary, Khalif Rainey and Ravae Sinclair, will face off on April 2.
Khalif Rainey
Khalif Rainey has worked in Congresswoman Gwen Moore’s Milwaukee office for eight years, providing constituent services in the areas of housing, veterans, environment, taxes, energy and youth. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern University’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and served on the board of the African World Festival.
“I am running for the office of Milwaukee County supervisor because I believe our city and county are at a crossroads,” Rainey said. “We have great challenges but we also have great opportunities. I want to be a part of making change on a local level.”
Rainey said that the two biggest problems facing the county are transit and economic development.
“Every year we are on the brink of devastating cuts to our transit system and that is not the way we should operate as a county,” Rainey said. “We need a dedicated funding source for transit so we can make sure that we are expanding this vital service, not cutting it.”
He said revitalizing the Northridge area is a top priority of Second District residents.
Rainey said the county has full-time challenges, which require full-time representation. He said he’d treat the position as a full-time one, no matter what happens in the future.
Rainey has been endorsed by Congresswoman Gwen Moore; state Sen. Lena Taylor; County Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitirijevic; Milwaukee Common Council members Milele Coggs, Joe Davis, Ashanti Hamilton and Willie Wade; County Supervisor Russell Stamper; Milwaukee School Board Director Mark Sain; Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA); and United Auto Workers (UAW).
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To learn more about Khalif Rainey, go to khalifrainey.com.
Ravae Sinclair
Ravae Sinclair earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a law degree from Marquette University. Sinclair worked in U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s Washington, D.C., office and is a certified massage therapist and birth doula. She currently works as an assistant state public defender.
Sinclair said she was encouraged to run for office by state Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee), after she co-chaired his campaign for the state Assembly.
If she is elected to the board, Sinclair said she would focus on transit, health care and criminal justice reform.
She said that younger and older Milwaukeeans need an affordable and reliable transit system to get to jobs, doctor’s appointments and the airport. She said her expertise in women’s health care would help her tackle issues related to domestic abuse, mental health and the high infant mortality rate in the city.
Sinclair said her legal background would be an asset as the county attempts to reform the criminal justice system.
“I have the unique perspective of having been in the jails very regularly as part of my job,” Sinclair said. “There are a number of reforms I think can take place and also increase access to treatment courts.”
She said she would treat the position as a full-time one if she is elected to the board.
“I am an advocate for becoming more efficient,” Sinclair said. “I think we can trim things but not eliminate programs altogether.”
Sinclair has been endorsed by state Sen. Nikiya Harris, state Rep. Evan Goyke, AFT-Local 4822, Fair Wisconsin PAC, Milwaukee Ald. Tony Zielinski, Social Development Commission CEO Hannah Dugan, Milwaukee Police Lieutenant Christopher Moews, activists Bill Sell and Tracey Dent and others.
To learn more about Ravae Sinclair, go to ravaesinclair.com.
