While there are no municipal elections in the cityof Milwaukee, here are the Shepherd’sendorsements in selected races in the metro Milwaukee area:
Waukesha Mayor: Larry Nelson
Mayor Larry Nelson has been a breath of freshair in Waukesha, and his four years in office show the benefits of addingsmart, sustainable development to a growing city. We also like his willingnessto engage the region to solve difficult problems. Yes, Waukesha’s request forLake Michigan water is a controversial one. But if done right, it can be amodel for subsequent requests in other areas of the country. Nelson’s opponent,Jeff Scrima, has good intentions but not the concrete solutions that a growing cityneeds. Nelson has definitely earned another four years as mayor.
Cudahy Mayor: Ryan McCue
Cudahy is onthe upswing, and its mayor, Ryan McCue,deserves some of the credit. McCue has been able to attract and retainemployers while nurturing the city’s downtown. It’s a difficult time to be amayor, but we believe that McCue can advance the best interests of Cudahyduring the current economic downturn. Tony Day, McCue’s challenger, doesn’thave the broad background McCue possesses, and his call for a part-time mayorand the hiring of a new full-time city administrator would significantlydecrease voters’ influence on important local issues.
Brookfield Mayor: Steve Ponto
Voters inBrookfield have a chance to elect a new mayor who’s already thoroughly immersedin local issues: Steve Ponto,an attorney who has served Brookfieldas alderman for 12 years. We’re impressed by Ponto’s educational andprofessional background, his stated willingness to work with other communitiesin the region, and his careful consideration of plans for I-94. Brookfield willneed a strong, practical leader in the coming years, and we think Ponto is thebest candidate for mayor.
WaukeshaCounty Circuit Court Judge: Richard Congdon
The differences between the two candidates in thisrace are substantial. The incumbent, RichardCongdon, was appointed to the bench in January 2009, and he has worked hardto move cases through the system as fairly and expediently as possible. He’s aprofessional on the bench, and the Shepherdasks voters to support him on April 6. In contrast, Republican legislator MarkGundrum of New Berlin has created a highly ideological and divisive record inthe state Assembly, and we doubt that those appearing in his courtroom would betreated without bias. Support Judge Congdon instead.
