Meet the Candidates

Marcus Madison is a 25 year old from Elyria, OH. He was elected in November 2010 to the Elyria City Council. Despite his young age, Marcus is very active in the community. He is a board member of the local American Red Cross, the membership chair of the Lorain County Young Democrats and is involved on many other community projects. Marcus wants to focus on improving quality of life, rebuilding the ward's infrastructure, youth engagement and bring new businesses to the community.

Carolyn Comitta is running for reelection as mayor of West Chester, Chester County. Carolyn was a West Chester Borough Council member and is a member of the National League of Cities and of the Pennsylvania League of Cities. As chair of the Borough Council's Public Safety Committee, Carolyn was recognized nationally for cutting-edge public policy. Carolyn works as a member of World Information Transfer, Inc., promoting health and environmental literacy in conjunction with the United Nations. The mayor's office had been held by conservatives since 1992 and had never been held by a woman. Since 2007, progressives have dramatically increased democratic registration in West Chester - so much so, that there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans and Independents combined.

Farm team member Mark Harris was first elected in 2005 and defeated a conservative incumbent. Winnebago County is traditionally a conservative portion of the state and his victory was a major power shift for Progressive Majority and our partners. In the past four years, Mark has reduced the county unemployment rate to the lowest in more than 15 years, maintained all county services despite huge budget cuts, and helped to ensure that a new county nursing facility was built. Mark had opposition this cycle and it was important that we support him in his campaign. He will ran an aggressive voter contact program.

Dave Coulter is running for reelection as Mayor of Ferndale. Coulter is one of the few openly gay elected officials in Michigan and a former member of the Detroit Federation of Teachers and SEIU Local 80.  Mayor Coulter has been active on many community projects.  He worked with the late Gerry Kulick as a council-appointed member of the Community Center Task Force. Coulter was also a member of the Human Rights Ordinance Committee in 1999, and was a Trustee on the Ferndale Library Board in 2004-05. As his community continues to deal with the effects of a struggling economy, Coulter is dedicated to finding ways to provide the services and quality of life needed for continued success within a shrinking budget.

Gwen Markham is running for Oakland County Commissioner, District 9. Born and raised in Michigan, she has over 20 years of experience in the automotive and manufacturing industries. She believes that good jobs are the foundation of a strong economy. A longtime civic volunteer, Gwen has served on the City of Novi Planning Commission and has raised funds for the local arts community.

Wells Lyons is running for Portland City Council, At-Large. A fifth generation Mainer, Wells was born in Portland. He grew up on a small farm, worked as a janitor at his local church, and mopped floors to save money for college. Wells attended Middlebury College in Vermont, and went on to law school where he won felony trials with the State’s Attorney’s Office while serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Loyola International Law Review. During law school, he also got his start in public service. He worked with the Obama campaign to ensure that no one was unfairly turned away from voting. Wells currently sits on the Maine League of Young Voters’ Steering Committee, is a member of Portland Trails, the Maine Bicycle Coalition and Human Rights Campaign.

Lawrence Robinson is running for Phoenix City Council, District 8. A native of Phoenix, Lawrence currently serves on the Roosevelt Elementary School District Governing Board. He grew up learning to stand up for the values of community and equality. At a young age, Lawrence was involved in the fight for statewide recognition of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and for inclusiveness within local schools. Upon graduating college and law school, he spent two years helping to establish a nonprofit legal services office, serving as an attorney for hundreds of low-income families who couldn’t afford to hire an attorney. Lawrence also teaches law courses at the Phoenix School of Law.

Steve Arnold is running for re-election as Fitchburg Common Council Alder, District 4, Seat 7.  Elected as Alder in 2005, he has served on Common Council Public Safety and Human Services Committee, Transportation and Transit Commission, City of Madison Transit and Parking Commission Contracted Services Oversight Subcommittee, and Resource Conservation Commission.  Steve has led major local initiatives in the past 8 years, including: building a Fitchburg municipal library building, restructuring land use rules for sustainability, and advocating for all-day, every-day transit service through central urban Fitchburg.

Julie Palakovich Carr is running for Rockville City Council. Julie has contributed to numerous initiatives to improve the community. She served on Rockville’s Environment Commission and chaired the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Committee, a citizen group convened by Rockville’s Planning Commission to review the City’s growth policies and to make recommendations. Currently, she works for the American Institute of Biological Sciences, a non‐profit scientific association.

Shamaine joined the Progressive Majority Farm Team in February 2013. She is seeking a Democratic nomination in May’s primary election for one of the four seats to be filled on Harrisburg’s City Council. She ran for County Clerk of Court in 2011 and lost in the Democratic primary by 3%. Since that run, she served as Field Director for state house race and has been extremely active in the progressive community. Shamaine will be a progressive champion on the Harrisburg City Council.

Mandy Santiago is running for Springfield Township Board of Commissioners, Ward 4.  Mandy has dedicated her career to building and maintaining strong social programs, such as school lunch, public housing, and Medicaid.  Growing up, her family spent a great deal of time bouncing back and forth from a friend’s couch to a homeless shelter.  Today, she fundraises for causes improving her local community’s quality of life – career counseling for young adults, environmental education workshops, college scholarships, expanded access to healthcare services, and women’s equality.  Mandy volunteers her time with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Arthritis Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Foundation, the Women’s Democratic Club in Delaware County, and many other local groups.

Turner Bitton is running for Ogden City Council, District 3. Turner is a young progressive activist who became engaged in organizing work after becoming aware of the needs of his community. In high school, he led his fellow students to develop a recycling program that ended up as an integral part of his student body’s funding. Since then, he has served as President of the Gay Straight Alliance, Latin Student Union Vice President, and Vice Chair of the Utah Federation of College Democrats. In addition, he has worked on numerous state and local campaigns in Utah, most recently working as campaign manager for a congressional race.

John was recruited to the Progressive Majority Farm Team in March 2013. John challenged Delegate Bob Marshall in the 13th District in 2009, losing the race with 39% of the vote. This year, he faces Delegate David Ramadan. Ramadan has served in the House since 2011 and was highlighted in a 2011 Washington Business Journal article about his work in expanding Curves International, a fitness franchise, into the Middle East and India. Supporting John will help Progressive Majority build our Farm Team and political presence in Virginia.

Renie Peterson is running for re-election to Aurora City Council, Ward 2.  Serving on City Council since 2008, Renie is Vice Chair of the Management and Finance Policy Committee and a member of the Quality of Life Policy Committee.  She is a founder of the Aurora Public Schools' Wish List Project and serves on the boards of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and Adams County Economic Development.  Prior to public service, Renie worked for Aurora Public Schools as a family advocate.

Raymond DeHahn is running for re-election to Racine City Council, District 7.  A lifelong resident of Racine, Raymond has served on City Council since April 2005.  He currently serves on the Affirmative Action, Public Works and Services, and Neighborhood and Housing Committees.  Raymond successfully worked to change the Civil Service Testing Exam for the County to the McCann Civil Service Testing to eliminate biased hiring practices, defeat a proposal for landfill site to protect environmental quality, and proposed a new highway system plan for Eastern Racine County.

Karin Uhlich is running for re-election to Tucson City Council.  A resident of Tucson since 1993, she serves as the Executive Director of the Southwest Center for Economic Integrity, a non-profit research and advocacy organization.  Karin was elected to City Council in 2005 and was re-elected to her second term in 2009.  She served as the Executive Director of Primavera Services (Primavera Foundation) for nine years, an affordable housing, job training, and homeless services agency with an annual budget of $2 million and a staff of 50 people.  Prior to moving to Tucson, she worked as a Congressional Aide and Executive Director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan.

Jeanne Clark is running for Pittsburgh City Council, District 8. Spanning four decades, Jeanne has been a leading advocate for women’s rights, civil rights, LGBT rights, workers’ rights, sustainable development, and protecting our environment at the local, state, and federal levels. She served as Press Secretary for the National Organization for Women (NOW) in Washington, DC. On the state level, in her capacity as communications director for Citizen's for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture), she helped create the policy and funding streams that grew Pennsylvania's clean renewable energy industry. She is Chair of the 7th Ward Democratic Committee and Chair of the Women’s Caucus of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

Eric Nelson is running for Aurora School Board, At-Large. He is currently a Psychology Professor at Colorado State University and owns an insurance company and investment firm. An active member of the Aurora community, he is heavily involved with the American Legion Post 30, NAACP, Rocky Mountain Association of Black Psychologists and; Board of Directors, Denver Mayor's African American Commission, and Aurora Human Relations Commission. Eric is currently a participant with the Center for Progressive Leadership’s State Political Fellowship.

Monte Johnson is running for House of Delegates, District 10. An lifelong Virginian and experienced business leader, he currently works as a Senior Consultant for federal clients at Booz Allen Hamilton. Monte brings a career's worth of dedicated problem solving to the public sphere. In 2012, Monte chaired Loudoun’s African Americans for Obama group, working with churches and women’s groups on behalf of President Obama. Additionally, Monte teaches children’s Bible study and volunteers at the Leesburg cold weather shelter.

Jennifer Boysko is running for House of Delegates, District 86. Jennifer has has dedicated her adult life to public and community service. She has worked on federal legislative, telecommunication, and regulatory issues for a number of years. She volunteers a great portion of her time with community groups and campaigns, working with Democratic campaigns since 2003. Jennifer was State Director for Governor Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. Currently, Jennifer serves as the Herndon aide to Dranesville Supervisor John Foust.

Alberto Garcia is running for Westminster City Council. An attorney and small business owner, Alberto started his legal career at the Colorado Attorney General's Office under the leadership of then-Attorney General Ken Salazar. Alberto opened his own practice in 2008, where he currently works to serve the needs of indigent defendants throughout the State. He has been extremely active in the community for a number of years. He served as an officer in the Westminster Optimist Club, a board member of the non-profit association Intercambio de Communidades, and was an appointed member of the Colorado Childcare Licensing Board. Alberto has also been active in the public policy arena, working at the state capitol during the Colorado General Assembly for the past two legislative sessions. Alberto believes that working at the state capitol has given him a unique perspective into the issues facing municipalities across the state.

TJ Cawley is running for Morrisville Town Council. Ten years ago, TJ chose to retire from his successful career as a financial analyst in order to be a stay-at-home Dad. TJ adopted the elementary school grounds in partnership with the PTA and the Spruce Adopt A Spot Program. In addition, was recently re-elected as Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, is a founding member of the R.A.I.N (Residents Active in Improving the eNvironment) Committee and is an active member of the Community Emergency Response Team. During the 2012 elections, TJ was a Wake County Democratic Party District Coordinator, Neighborhood Headquarters lead, and Precinct Chair.

Kathleen Murphy is running for House of Delegates, District 34. Kathleen is a small business owner, activist, and community leader. As President of Johnson Murphy & Associates, she provides strategic counseling and builds legislative strategies for companies and non-profit organizations. Prior to launching her business, she worked as a Senior Advisor for International Trade at the Department of Commerce and handled Congressional Affairs at USAID during the Clinton administration. Kathleen helped found Salute Our Services, which helps connect service members deployed overseas to their families, Kids Serve Too, an organization to honor and support children in military families, and has played a critical role in Women’s Campaign International teaching women in developing countries how to become political leaders.

Richard Cabellos is running for House of Delegates, District 50. A dedicated community organizer, Richard has worked on several issue and electoral campaigns. After my stint at the DNC, he started working with local non-profits, specifically on the issues of immigration reform and workers rights. His work helped families many families in Manassas acclimate into the community. The son of immigrants, Richard understood how important providing a path to citizenship was to the local quality of life. He serves the Virginia Latino Advisory Committee and is active with the Service Employees International Union, Local 512.

P.G. Sittenfeld is running for re-election to the Cincinnati City Council. He is serving in his first-term on council and is the Vice-Chair of the Job Growth Committee, and also serves on the Finance Committee and Strategic Growth Committee. Born and raised in Cincinnati, P.G. is focused on making Cincinnati economically competitive, seeing that citizens receive high-quality basic services, and ensuring that our local government lives within its means. He was the Assistant Director of the Community Learning Center Institute. P.G. also dedicates much of his time to volunteer initiatives, including serving as a past division co-chair for the United Way annual campaign; a current board member for the Freestore Foodbank; a mentor through the Adopt-A-Class program; a Citizens-On-Patrol volunteer; and an announcer for events on Fountain Square.