Ralph Malicki announces his run for county executive after death of Jonathan Delagrave
RACINE COUNTY, WI — Ralph Malicki on Fri., Sept. 20, officially announced his candidacy for Racine County Executive.
He is the fourth candidate to throw his hat into the ring: Racine County Clerk Wendy Christensen, Lorenzo Santos, and Cory Sebastian have also announced their candidacy.
Malicki made the announcement on Facebook, and in a phone interview with Racine County Eye, said he plans to build on existing programs while fostering collaboration and community partnerships.
"I looked at ways that I could continue to serve the Racine community, and this opportunity came up albeit for sad reasons," Malicki said.
He refers to the unexpected death of former County Executive Jonathan Delagrave died unexpectedly in June.
Malicki is owned and operated the former Piggly Wiggly grocery story on Washington Avenue in Mount Pleasant and hosted a weekly gathering for area veterans and served as a staging station for the annual Santa in a Shoebox drive .
Malicki on challenges, opportunities facing Racine CountyMalicki emphasized that one of the biggest challenges facing Racine County is its financial situation, including budgeting concerns. He did acknowledge that he would need to gather more information before making definitive statements.
"I would have to take a lot of input from a lot of folks and see what's exactly under the hood before I commented on it," he said, stressing his intention to rely on a wide range of advisors.
When asked about the proposed sales tax by outgoing County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, the businessman said that the issue is likely to be resolved before he takes office.
"Whatever happens with it, I'll have to deal with," he noted, leaving the door open to handling the outcomes, no matter the county board's vote.
One of the opportunities Malicki is eager to explore is the Microsoft development project in the county. Calling it "the biggest development in North America," he said the key would be to grow the county's economic base by attracting other businesses and similar projects to support the work at and around the Microsoft campus in Mount Pleasant.
Malicki's experience based on business, community engagementMalicki also underscored his focus on building collaborations as a top priority.
"I'm big on collaboration, bringing people to the table and working together," he said, while also acknowledging that bringing diverse groups together can be challenging.
He sees this as both an opportunity and a potential obstacle, explaining, "Sometimes bringing them together does not work out well, but that's what I want to work on—collaborations and partnerships."
Malicki pointed to his experience working on various boards and in business as strong qualifications for the role.
"I think I've got good common sense, good business sense, and a track record of walking the walk, bringing people together, and getting things accomplished," he concluded.
Malicki's campaign is currently focused on gathering signatures and building support, with a Facebook post calling for volunteers to assist in the effort.
"I look forward to the honor and privilege of serving the Racine County area," he wrote, inviting community members to join his campaign.
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