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Ronnie Kellam
Ronnie Kellam ran for election for an at-large seat of the Newark Public Schools Board of Education in New Jersey. Kellam lost in the general election on May 12, 2020.
Biography
Kellam graduated from Malcolm X. Shabazz High School in Newark before studying for an associate degree from Essex County College.[1] He is employed by both Conway Stores and McDonald's as a security and loss prevention officer. Kellam has stated that he is interested in serving in the Newark public school system as a school administrator.[2]
Elections
2020
See also: Newark Public Schools, New Jersey, elections (2020)
General election
General election for Newark Public Schools Board of Education (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Newark Public Schools Board of Education on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Josephine Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 27.7 | 5,877 |
| ✔ |  | Flohisha Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 26.1 | 5,542 |
| ✔ |  | Hasani Council (Nonpartisan) | 25.1 | 5,323 |
 | Sheila Montague (Nonpartisan) | 9.3 | 1,981 | |
| Phillip Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 5.7 | 1,206 | ||
 | Ronnie Kellam (Nonpartisan) | 4.6 | 965 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.5 | 314 | ||
| Total votes: 21,208 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2015
- See also: Newark Public Schools elections (2015)
Three of the nine seats on the Newark Advisory Board were up for election on April 21, 2015. Only one incumbent, Marques-Aquil Lewis, filed to run for re-election. He faced the following seven challengers on the general election ballot: Natasha Alvarado, Veronica Branch, Dashay Carter, Crystal Fonseca, Ronnie Kellam, Charles Love III, and Sheila Montague. Lewis, Carter, and Fonseca were chosen for Mayor Ras J. Barak's "Children First Team" slate.[3]
Michael Diaz and Ivan Holmes also filed to run in this election but did not appear on the ballot. Holmes withdrew from the race and Diaz was disqualified.[4]
The Baraka-backed candidates Lewis, Carter, and Fonseca, won the three seat up for election.
Results
| Newark Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Crystal Fonseca |
21.9% | 3,745 | |
| Nonpartisan | Marques-Aquil Lewis Incumbent |
21.8% | 3,729 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dashay Carter |
19.4% | 3,311 | |
| Nonpartisan | Charles Love III | 11.4% | 1,955 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sheila Montague | 10.1% | 1,729 | |
| Nonpartisan | Veronica Branch | 9.6% | 1,637 | |
| Nonpartisan | Natasha Alvarado | 3.4% | 584 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ronnie Kellam | 2% | 347 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 63 | |
| Total Votes | 17,100 | |||
| Source: Essex County Clerk, "2015 School Board Election," April 27, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Kellam reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission as of April 17, 2015.[5]
Endorsements
Kellam received no official endorsements as of April 2, 2015.
2014
- See also: Newark Public Schools elections (2014)
Kellam lost to incumbents Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson and Philip C. Seelinger Jr. and fellow newcomer Donald G. Jackson Jr. in the election for three at-large seats on April 23, 2014. Baskerville-Richardson, Seelinger and Reginald Bledsoe campaigned as the "Children First" slate endorsed by then-mayoral candidate Ras J. Baraka. Bledsoe was the only member of the slate not to win a seat.[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Philip C. Seelinger Jr. Incumbent |
20.1% | 2,894 | |
| Nonpartisan | Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson Incumbent |
19% | 2,734 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donald G. Jackson Jr. |
16.8% | 2,421 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reginald Bledsoe | 16.4% | 2,352 | |
| Nonpartisan | Crystal Fonseca | 12.1% | 1,743 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rachelle Moss | 8.3% | 1,198 | |
| Nonpartisan | Shakima K. Thomas | 4% | 575 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ronnie Kellam | 2.8% | 405 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 48 | |
| Total Votes | 14,370 | |||
| Source: Essex County, New Jersey, "2014 School Board Election," accessed June 11, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Kellam reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission in this election.[7]
Endorsements
Kellam did not receive any official endorsements for this campaign.
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ronnie Kellam did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
Kellam provided the following statement on his Facebook campaign page:
| “ | For the majority of my education in Newark, I was constantly reminded that I was a student with special needs. Expectations were lowered for me. Educators and students did not always understand. I found my own way to keep fighting to be seen and heard. My educational needs were not met. My IEP was a plan on paper. And I did not see my issues being addressed in the leadership. So I became a leader. I became President in Shabazz High School. I worked hard and beyond my limits. I read, researched and became a strong advocate for Newark Public Schools. I joined the Abbott Leadership Institute and the Youth Media Symposium and never missed a class. I stepped up and stood up for the youth when many of the adults turned their heads. Yes I may have had and IEP but my VOICE was stronger than that. My voice is the plan God has for me. I am the Fighter who Fights for Education.
I am running for the school board to show students with special needs that you don’t have to shy away from leadership. That you can take part in politics. See, no one knows what students need in Newark more than you. You may not always say the right thing in the right way, but as long as you speak from the heart and dedicate yourself to service, you can achieve. People will vote for you. You can win. I hope you will vote for me. I want to SERVE on the school board. It is a dream of mine. I am not afraid to stand up for students and their rights. I know what it means to be in a classroom and not have your needs met to make you the best student. In some schools 30 percent of students need me. I am not giving up.[8] |
” |
| —Ronnie Kellam's Facebook campaign page (2015)[9] | ||
2014
Kellam provided the following statement on his Facebook campaign page:
| “ | Slowly but surely there has been a consistent progression to take away our jobs, homes, benefits, unemployment benefits, equitable/adequate education, social security benefits, safety policing and most of all the lives of our youth.
Ronnie Kellam deserves your vote and support on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 for the school board election because I have been in the community fighting on these issues with my mind, body, and soul. Fight for representation that is going to fight for you[8] |
” |
| —Ronnie Kellam's Facebook campaign page (2015)[10] | ||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Facebook, "Ronnie Eugene Kellam," accessed March 25, 2014
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Ronnie Kellam," accessed March 25, 2014
- ↑ NJ.com, "Ten candidates sign up for Newark school board race," March 4, 2015
- ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Martha A. Jones, Newark Public Schools," April 14, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "View a Candidate or Election Related Committee Report," accessed April 17, 2015
- ↑ Politicker NJ, "Baraka's School Board Slate Set," March 6, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "View a Candidate or Election Related Committee Report," accessed April 7, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "Ronnie Kellam for NPS School Advisory Board: Wall Post," March 13, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Ronnie Kellam for NPS School Advisory Board: Wall Post," March 16, 2014
| 2015 Newark Public Schools Elections | |
| Essex County, New Jersey | |
| Election date: | April 21, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Marques-Aquil Lewis • Natasha Alvarado • Veronica Branch • Dashay Carter • Michael Diaz • Crystal Fonsica • Ivan Holmes • Ronnie Kellam • Charles Love III • Sheila Montague |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
| 2014 Newark Public Schools Elections | |
| Newark, New Jersey | |
| Election date: | April 23, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson • Incumbent, Philip C. Seelinger Jr. • Reginald Bledsoe • Crystal Fonseca • Donald G. Jackson Jr. • Rachelle Moss • Shakima K. Thomas • Ronnie Kellam |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
