RACINE, WI — With just two days before nomination papers are due, Racine County Executive candidate Cory Sebastian announced she’s dropping out of the race.
In a phone interview with Racine County Eye, Sebastian said she’s turning her focus to growing her restaurant and community involvement.
She said she is focused on fiscal responsibility and economic development and that spending so much money on a campaign just doesn’t feel right. Instead, she’ll spend her time contributing to the community in other ways such as hiring great staff and continuing her work on the Racine Common Council.
“I feel as though the money going into six of our campaigns could actually be better used to address the problems we’re talking about,” Sebastian said. “I’ve had incredible support—generous donations, and countless signatures—but I believe building my business to support economic development is a better role for me at this time. Getting your feet wet and your hands dirty is perhaps the right path for me.”
Sebastian knows Racine County will be in good hands
Despite stepping down, she remains optimistic about the future of Racine County.
“I’ve spoken with all the candidates, and while they’ve asked for my support, I feel it would be irresponsible to those who backed me to align with anyone else. That said, I believe Racine County is in good hands no matter who voters choose, and I will continue my involvement in other capacities,” Sebastian said.
Sebastian emphasized that her withdrawal does not mean she will disappear from civic life but rather will stay involved in listening to the needs of residents and offering support where it’s needed.
“I made it clear at the forum that I want to listen and be effective. I believe I can achieve that by growing my business, which will allow me to give back even more. More money flowing through the business means more resources to address the problems our community faces,” she said.
Following in Delagrave’s footsteps
This withdrawal is particularly notable as just a few weeks ago, the former candidate expressed her enthusiasm for the race following the tragic loss of a key figure in the county.
“With my experience as a business owner and my work in the nonprofit community, I saw this as a unique opportunity to serve,” she said at the time. “I’ve collaborated with almost every municipality in the county and felt that my understanding of the bigger picture, along with the smaller nuances that create that picture, would be beneficial.”
Sebastian had been particularly excited to continue the work of the late Jonathan Delagrave, who died unexpectedly last June. She mentioned their shared passion for mental health initiatives and economic development as key components of her platform.
“His mental health initiative was something I worked on years ago, and it’s extremely important to me. Continuing his legacy in both mental health and economic development was a big motivation for me,” she shared at the time.
As of Tues., Oct. 22, Racine County Clerk Wendy Christensen and Pastor Melvin Hargrove were the two of the five remaining candidates to return completed nomination papers.
The primary for Racine County Executive is scheduled for Nov. 21 with the special election following on Dec. 19.
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