Alderman Khalif Rainey Won’t Run For Reelection

Ald. Khalif Rainey speaks at May 2023 Melvina Park groundbreaking. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Alderman Khalif Rainey will soon be citizen Rainey. Rainey confirmed Thursday that he isn’t seeking reelection next spring. Five candidates are already in the race to replace him.

First elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020, Rainey represented the council’s seventh district, which includes Century City and the Sherman Park, Old North Milwaukee, Franklin Heights, Roosevelt Grove, Sunset Heights, Saint Joseph, Lincoln Creek, Wahl Park and Hampton Heights neighborhoods.

“When I graduated high school, I had the great fortune to receive a scholarship from a local philanthropist to attend college. The only stipulations he placed on this generous gift were that I study hard, work hard, and then bring back what I had learned to my community for use in its service. I have spent my entire professional life trying to keep that promise,” said Rainey in a statement. “Since my election to the Milwaukee Common Council, I have worked with my colleagues and the community to create legislation and programs that I thought worked to fulfill this promise.”

His aldermanic accomplishments include the creation of the Fresh Food Access Fund, Hip Hop Week MKE and pushing for equitable city services.

“When my colleagues and I started talking about food deserts and how to end them, few even seemed to understand the problem. Now it’s a priority. We lifted barriers for felons that prevented them from purchasing city-owned property. We pushed for simple, street-level changes to improve the cleanliness of our city and reduce reckless driving. We created an Equity Impact Statement to make legislation more transparent and evaluate it through a different lens,” said Rainey.

He also led the charge to create the Office of African-American Affairs to “directly address the unique problems of a community so long plagued by racism, both open and systemic.”

Prior to joining the council, Rainey, 43, served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from 2013 to 2016. He also sponsored the creation of the county’s Office of African American Affairs, which is more internally focused and was renamed the Office of Equity in 2022 despite Rainey’s opposition.

Before seeking elected office, the outgoing alderman served as a staffer for Congresswoman Gwen Moore. Rainey holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern University and A&M College in Louisana.

And while Hip Hop Week has drawn national attention, Rainey’s tenure on the council might have gotten the most citywide attention when he initially backed a proposal to allow Strauss Brands to open a meatpacking plant in Century City, then opposed the deal which led to the company pulling out.

During the Strauss debate, Rainey was chair of the powerful Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee. He later served as chair of the Community & Economic Development Committee but has kept a lower profile since April 2022, when he told Urban Milwaukee he asked to no longer serve in the role.

Five candidates have already registered to run in the race, DiAndre Jackson, Jessica Currie, Kenneth Hughes, Randy Jones and Taryn Webb. Jackson is a longtime employee of MasterLock Company and president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. Currie is a community organizer who founded Missionary Currie for Women and Children after facing homelessness as a teenager. Hughes, who ran in 2020 and finished third in a four-way race, owns and operates Dawg City hot dog restaurant. Jones, who finished fourth in a five-way 2016 primary for the office, founded the nonprofit Staying On Track Inc., is a real estate agent and serves on the Milwaukee Safety and Civic Commission. Webb is an executive assistant at Children’s Wisconsin, a board member at Sojourner Family Peace Center and previously worked as a legislative aide for the Common Council.

Rainey faced a Dec. 22 deadline to file a notification of noncandidacy or see the filing deadline extended for all candidates.

A primary election will be held Feb. 20. The top two vote-getters will advance to an April 2 general election. Council members are elected to a four-year term and paid $73,222.

“In May of 2024, I will no longer be on the Common Council. I can tell you this, though: I’m not going anywhere. We all have work to do in our community and I have a promise to keep,” said Rainey.