Meet Harvey’s 2027 4th Ward candidates
Whether to give an incumbent more room to prove himself to be an effective alderman or give the 4th Ward a fresh face. Here’s a look at the face-off coming to the area.
Dixie Hwy., a possible rainbow coalition, and murmurs of dissatisfaction with the incumbent are all at the core of Harvey’s 4th Ward race.
Eight-year incumbent Tracy Key is looking to clinch a third term. He was often criticized by his constituents for not answering emails or phone calls and asking off-the-wall questions during council meetings. It made locals wonder whether he actually read his meeting packets.
Since he formed an alliance with Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) during late mayor Chris Clark’s administration, he’s presented himself as a more proactive and authoritative alderperson. However, there are some who lament Key leans a little too much on Chapman and wonder whether he can lead on his own.
The 4th Ward has irregular boundaries. It spans from 145th St. at its northernmost tip to 159th St. at its southernmost; Wood St. to California Ave., east to west.
Black seniors, multigenerational Latino households, and a growing Indian require the winner to build in-roads with all three voting blocs to take the seat. And there’s loads of possibilities for economic development potential along Dixie Hwy. and near the interchange at 147th St.: Matanky Redevelopment Group is trying to oversee a multimillion dollar transformation of a lot into commercial retail and townhomes for seniors and veterans.
So, who has the team and the vision? Here’s the face-off coming to the 4th ward.
Tracy Key
Tracy Key is the current 4th Ward alderman and chair of the public safety committee. Key has served two terms as the 4th Ward alderman and is now seeking a third. Key has been a resident of Harvey for 47 years and graduated from Thornton Township High School in 1986.
He was appointed in 2015 by former mayor Eric J. Kellogg and named in a 2016 lawsuit against Kellogg for an alleged Open Meetings Act violation.The lawsuit accused Kellogg of illegally removing four alderpeople — including Clark and now-acting mayor Shirley Drewenski — from their seats and “temporarily” appointing Key and Reverend James Sims as their replacements. The appointments and ordinances passed during the unlawful meeting were invalidated by the state.
In March 2024, late mayor Chris Clark attempted to censure Key alongside Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) and City Treasurer Aisha Pickett over a range of issues, including alleged misuse of Council chambers for political purposes, but the censure was later withdrawn. Key frequently voices concerns over city spending and transparency from city officials. He and Chapman are allies who cast the lone dissenting votes against a water detention pond on 153rd St. and Myrtle Ave. that displaced longtime Black and Latino residents.
Political allyships: Colby Chapman
See Key’s election packet here.
Waynemond Cotton
Waynemond Cotton is a Harvey native and veteran who graduated from Thornton Township High School. Cotton was elected Harvey Park District in 2023. However, the board vacated his seat in January 2025 over an alleged outstanding $500 debt. Park district attorneys did not alert Cotton of his removal until four months later.
Cotton filed a joint lawsuit with commissioner La’Keisha Brown-O’Neal against park district officials for allegedly blocking them from performing duties as elected officials. The court ruled in his favor. But now that he’s set to take his seat back at the Harvey Park District, it raises the concerns about whether he will file for re-election at the park district, and if so, if he can — or should — devote time to both seats.
“I really am passionate about serving the city of Harvey, especially the youth,” Cotton told the HWH earlier this year. “I feel like the park district is the pulse of the city, and right now, […] we need the park district to help revitalize the city.” Cotton unsuccessfully ran for 4th Ward alderman in 2019.
Political allyships: Janet Rogers, Tyrone Rogers, Marshun Tolbert
See Cotton’s election packet here.
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