Celeste Racette

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Celeste Racette

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Kansas University, 1978

Graduate

Wichita State University, 1981

Other

University of Wisconsin, 2004

Personal

Birthplace

Wichita, Kan.

Religion

Protestant

Profession

Accounting

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Celeste Racette (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Sedgwick County Commission to represent District 3 in Kansas. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Celeste Racette was born in Wichita, Kansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas University in 1978 and a graduate degree from Wichita State University in 1981. She also graduated from the Credit Union National Association Management School at the University of Wisconsin in 2004. Her career experience includes working in accounting.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Sedgwick County, Kansas (2024)

General election

General election for Sedgwick County Commission District 3

Stephanie Wise defeated Celeste Racette in the general election for Sedgwick County Commission District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephanie Wise (R)	67.1	33,339
		Celeste Racette (D)	32.8	16,288
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	26

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,653
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Sedgwick County Commission District 3

Celeste Racette defeated AlmaAnn Jones in the Democratic primary for Sedgwick County Commission District 3 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Celeste Racette	76.1	1,515
	Submit photo	AlmaAnn Jones	23.9	477

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,992
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Sedgwick County Commission District 3

Stephanie Wise defeated Greg Ferris and Alan Reichert in the Republican primary for Sedgwick County Commission District 3 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephanie Wise	48.8	4,475
	Submit photo	Greg Ferris	37.6	3,446
	Submit photo	Alan Reichert	13.6	1,246

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,167
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Racette in this election.

2023

See also: Mayoral election in Wichita, Kansas (2023)

General election

General election for Mayor of Wichita

Lily Wu defeated incumbent Brandon Whipple in the general election for Mayor of Wichita on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lily Wu (Nonpartisan)	57.6	37,004
		Brandon Whipple (Nonpartisan)	41.8	26,841
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	415

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,260
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Wichita

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Wichita on August 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lily Wu (Nonpartisan)	30.0	12,217
✔		Brandon Whipple (Nonpartisan)	24.0	9,775
		Bryan Frye (Nonpartisan)	22.3	9,070
		Celeste Racette (Nonpartisan)	16.8	6,831
		Jared Cerullo (Nonpartisan)	4.6	1,870
		Shelia Davis (Nonpartisan)	0.6	254
		Julie Rose Stroud (Nonpartisan)	0.6	246
		Tom Kane (Nonpartisan)	0.5	220
		Anthony Gallardo (Nonpartisan)	0.4	182

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,665
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Racette in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Celeste Racette did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2023

Celeste Racette completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Racette's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I spent 25 years in the financial industry: FDIC Bank Examiner and Investigation Specialist, Chief Internal Auditor, Certified Internal Auditor, Settlement Services Manager, and Accounting Officer.

I received FDIC STAR Awards from the Kansas City, Atlanta and New York regions and was instrumental in bringing to justice corrupt payday lenders.

I am the founder of Save Century II which started in 2019. Wichitans responded and we gathered 17,265 signatures on a petition to vote on the fate of Century II and the former central library. This was a nonpartisan effort to stop $1.2 billion in developer plan to raze both buildings and take over the publicly owned riverfront space. The public was not allowed to comment and the public was not allowed to vote. Save Century II was sued by the city and the petition was squashed.

I have always been involved in grassroots efforts to better the communities in which I have lived. In 1994, another mother and I started a volunteer effort called Lunch Bunch to stop bullying in the middle school our children attended. This led to another amazing public school effort to restore a 60 year old locker room - the Rainforest Room - which turned into a creative and imaginative gathering place with reading hut, waterfall, craft areas, and painted rainforest animals and greenery on the walls. Service to schools, church, community boards, and neighborhoods has always been my calling.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will keep a watchful eye over city hall finances. The City of Wichita had NO internal auditor for three years. This was a deliberate misstatement to the published financial statements which claimed we had one. My research has indicated taxpayer funds were directed to wealthy insider hotels, buildings, and even for loans. I will review our finances and ensure taxpayer money are spent appropriately.
• I will promote economic development without political payoffs. Wichita needs to stimulate growth through smart uses of incentives; EDX, TIF, CID, IRB, and GO debt should be granted after careful contract review and consideration of the financial rewards. Five and 10 year follow up using actual results should be conducctded to determine effectiveness of not only staff estimates, but in the project realized returns..
• I will prioritize public safety and quality of life. We are facing a $15 million deficit in the finances of the city. Careless spending and taxpayers giveaways to insiders has resulted in closed swimming pools, torn up city streets, neglected parks, and abondoned public buildings.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Currently, the biggest weakness of our elected officials is they do not understand City finances. No one is ensuring checks and balances. No one has ensured internal audits have occurred for the past three years. No one is supervising the City Manager. Our revenues have been tapped to pay for private development while public buildings are falling apart, streets are full of potholes, and our public parks are neglected. As your Mayor, I pledge to put public over insider interests.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father, who was Wichita's Mayor in 1964-1965 (Mayor's served only 1 year - this changed in the 1980s to a 4 year term). He served under President Johnson's administration and went to Washington, DC. to meet the President. This was a time when civil rights were coming to the forefront of the U.S. citizens' consciousness, along with the Vietnam War, and was the beginning of a turbulent time in our country. My father worked with many civil rights leaders in Wichita to change redlining laws, to develop better infrastructure, and to build a city civic arts and performing center open to all. I also admire his service in WW II, when as a young man from Kirwin, Kansas, enlisted in the Army. He served over in Europe as a Army Corps fighter pilot. He also trained pilots. The war experience left him with PTSD symptoms that at the time, were ignored. I am encouraged to see veterans receive much better medical care and counseling than has been afforded to vets in the past.

Another person I look up to is President John F. Kennedy. I believe he epitomized the ideals of a young generation. We wanted a more representative government, honest politicians (which we're still striving for), an end to the turmoil in Vietnam, and a right to peaceful protest. We wanted equal opportunity for all Americans and to realize the dream of home ownership. The promise fulfilled of a better future for our children, the next generation of Americans.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassignation of President John Kennedy in 1963. A horrific event and my father was a Wichita City Commissioner at the time. I was 7 years old at the time. I remember the terrible sadness and shock of watching former first lady Jackie Kennedy on TV, and Vice President Johnson being sworn in as President of the U.S. There is a memorial in Wichita just north of Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center that was dedicated to President Kennedy. Save Century II volunteers planted rose bushes in the area and maintain the flower beds. My late father's personal papers contain signed letters from Senator Kennedy, President Johnson, President Truman, and a telegram to former first lady Jacki Kennedy. My connection with public events from this area have stayed with me and inspired me to run for public office. Giving the public a vote and a voice are critical to the future of public affairs. We have to bridge the gab in divisive opinions and work collaboratively and cooperatively to make the U.S. the best country in the world. Wichita is my hometown, and as a fourth generation Kansan, we live the motto "Ad Astra Per Aspera" which means to the stars with difficulty. My parents lived through the depression, the dust bowl, the grasshopper plaque and WW II. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country", President John Kennedy once said. I believe this is what elected servants should strive for. My pledge as Mayor of Wichita, is to live as an example of his great leadership.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Legal secretary in law offices during the summer of my high school freshman and sophmore year. I continued working part time for this legal firm until I graduated from high school.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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