Elizabeth Monette "Beth" Coggs (born December 4, 1956) is an American community organizer and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Her mother, Marcia Priscilla Young Coggs, was the first African-American woman elected to Wisconsin State Assembly (in 1976).
Elizabeth graduated from Lincoln High School, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in African-American studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The Coggs Living Legacy continues, started by Isaac Newton Coggs in 1952, that is one of the only African American Family serving the public through elected and political service in the United States with over 150 years of collective elective leadership for African Americans in Wisconsin and Kansas.
[4] Her only opponent was independent Ieshuh Griffin, who attracted national attention (including an appearance on The Daily Show) for eventually unsuccessful efforts to label herself as "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'" (utilizing a state rule that allows independent candidates to use a five-word statement of purpose on the ballot to categorize themselves) on the election ballot.
[7] Wisconsin State Assembly, District 10 General Election (2010) Candidates Votes 15,874 Wisconsin State Assembly, District 10 Democratic primary (2010) Candidates Votes Percent 2,613 66.45% Campaign themes According to Coggs' campaign website, her focus is on faith, hope and harmony.
Her July 2012 call to the mostly-black voters at an inner-city candidate forum to "vote for someone who looks like you" led to accusations that she was attacking Assemblywoman Sandy Pasch, the only white candidate in the race to replace Coggs in her 10th Assembly district seat (Pasch's current seat was eliminated by the Republican-led legislature during the most recent redistricting, and she had moved into the new 10th district).
[8] She lost the Democratic primary (tantamount to election in this inner-city seat) to County Supervisor Nikiya Harris.