Ameya Pawar, 47th Ward Alderman and Democratic candidate for Illinois governor, today announced Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman as his running mate for Lt. Governor. A veteran, a pastor, and a former radio show host, Coleman has spent his entire life serving his community and our country.
“I asked Mayor Coleman to be my running mate because he embodies the struggle that every Illinois family and town is experiencing. While the wealthy keep getting wealthier, the rest of us are struggling to get ahead,” said Pawar. “For too long, our state has been under the control of millionaires and big corporations that put profits over people–and the political insiders who enable them–leaving us fighting over scraps. While Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump divide our country based on where people live and what they look like, Mayor Coleman and I will work to bring our entire state together and lead the fight to take our state back from the powerful special interests so everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
“Mayor Coleman and I are the only candidates in this race who are neither multi-millionaires or career politicians. And like me, he beat an entrenched political machine in Cairo to become mayor. Since taking office, the mayor has worked day and night to fight for public housing, economic development, and good jobs. Mayor Coleman will fight with me to bring new jobs and equitable funding for communities like Cairo, Englewood, Rockford, Galesburg, Waukegan, and Harvard.”
“I was born and raised in Cairo,” said Coleman. “When I grew up, it was the hub of the tri-state area. We used to draw people to Cairo for jobs, for entertainment, for medical care. I left for about 15 years, spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and came back on vacation and saw the devastation that years of disinvestment had caused. I saw that there was a need for my assistance here at home. Never thinking that I’d be in the position of mayor, I just thought that there was a better way of life for people who live in Cairo, and if I could do anything to make that thought a reality, I needed to be in government.”
“Cairo is a microcosm of what’s happening around Illinois and around this country,” Pawar explained. “Yes, there are higher rates of poverty, there are empty storefronts and buildings. But there are strong people. Strong families. People stitching things together to make their communities a better place. What’s missing is the political will to match that strength with investment. Mayor Coleman embodies the strength that so many communities have. And together, we’ll cut through politics as usual and get things done that actually improve people’s lives.”
Mayor Coleman was born in 1949 in Cairo. After graduating from Western Kentucky Vocational he was drafted into service, spending 10 years in the Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Staff Sergeant. In 1984, he returned to his home town on vacation and saw the economic damage that had been done, and decided to stay to do what he could to help the community rebuild.
Coleman founded Faith Incorporated, a community-based organization that serves youth. He spent 10 years as a life skills coach at the Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market, working with people on probation and with recipients of supplemental security income (SSI), which provides stipends to low-income people who are either over the age of 65, blind, or disabled. In 1991, Coleman founded what is now the Alexander-Pulaski Branch of the N.A.A.C.P.
From 1986-2012, Coleman hosted a talk and gospel radio show on WKRO-AM 1490. He has been involved in his church for decades - from 1999-2012, he was the Pastor at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Hogers Park in Cairo. He currently serves as Interim Pastor at the First Missionary Baptist Church.
His involvement in electoral politics began in 1990, when he served on the Cairo School District 1 Board. He then served as Co-Chair of Gov. Jim Edgar’s Minority Outreach Coalition, and from 2007-2011 served on the Cairo City Council as well as serving as the Cairo Police Commissioner. He is currently in his second term as Mayor.
Coleman is married to Mary Katherine Coleman, and the couple has raised four children.
