With the spring 2020 election right around the corner, 11 candidates have already announced campaigns to oppose aldermen across Milwaukee’s 15 districts. Some state and local names are vying for positions, including Milwaukee County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic and State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa. As it stands, seven aldermen are running unopposed.
This comes after current Alderman Robert Donovan announced he will not run for reelection in 2020, and Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and Alderman Tony Zielinski both announced a run for the Mayor’s office.
The spring 2020 primary election will be held on April 7, 2020.
A Crowded Contest
Donovan issued a letter announcing his intentions to not run for office again last March. He has served on the city’s South Side since 2000. “I leave with no regrets. I have fought for you all and for this great city as best as I knew how and believe I will leave behind a legacy of service, honesty and common sense,” said Donovan.
JoCasta Zamarripa
The current race for the Eighth District, which covers portions of the south side, includes three candidates. JoCasta Zamarripa, who is the first Latina woman elected to the state Legislature, has served on the state assembly for nine years. She announced her campaign shortly after Donovan issued that statement.
“The voters of the Eighth District deserve an Alderwoman who will understand our needs and our issues, and who will always listen,” Zamarripa said in a statement. “I was born and raised on Milwaukee’s near South Side and I’ve lived here at every stage of my life. I’ll be an alderwoman who will fight every day to make sure every voice in this district is heard.”
Justin Bielinski
Justin Bielinski of Burnham Park, who will be running against Zamarripa, ran against Donovan in 2016 and lost by less than two percent of the vote. According to a press release, he is a former youth service professional, community organizer and political strategist from Milwaukee. In 2018, he served as campaign manager for Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.
“Milwaukee is a city on the rise, with exciting developments happening nearly every day. Unfortunately, the benefits have yet to make a significant impact on our Near South Side neighborhoods, and the hard-working families who live here,” Bielinski said in a statement. “I've made the Eighth District my home for nearly 12 years, and there's no place I'd rather be. But crumbling roads, persistent safety concerns and lack of economic opportunity have been holding us back for far too long. This must change, and that's exactly what I plan to do as alderman.”
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Zamarripa announced in April that she has the endorsement of six sitting aldermen, including Bob Bauman, Nikiya Dodd, Chevy Johnson, Nik Kovac, José Pérez and Tony Zielinski.
The last person to declare candidacy for the Eighth District is Eduardo Loera, a Milwaukee pastor who has made no public comments beyond a Facebook page about his campaign yet.
What They Do
Milwaukee’s aldermen and alderwomen are elected for four-year terms. They currently make $73,222 per year. Generally, they are in charge of policy-making and legislative decisions across the city. They watch over the city budget and handle the tax levy. They also approve or deny the mayor's appointments of cabinet heads.
Aldermen meet 17-18 times a year as part of the Common Council to vote on resolutions and city-wide ordinances. They also serve on subcommittees as well, most of which meet bi-weekly. These subcommittees include Public Works, Finance and Personnel, Steering and Rules and Judiciary and Legislation, among others.
They are also the point of contact for issues that concern citizens who live within their district. Each district contains around 40,185 citizens. Many aldermen hold town hall meetings and invite citizens to attend Common Council or subcommittee meetings.
In order to run for the aldermen position, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, be at least 18 years old, be a resident of the district and must “not have been convicted of a felony in any court in the United States for which the candidate has not been pardoned,” according to the city.
