Democratic Candidate Guide
Packed Democratic gubernatorial race and county sheriff contest are top items on Tuesday's ballot.
The Democratic candidates for Governor.
Tomorrow – Tuesday, August 14th – is the fall partisan primary in Wisconsin. The top vote-getter for each party will advance to the general election held on November 6th.
Voters will find the ballots absolutely jam-packed with candidates, be it the crowded field vying for the Democratic nomination for Governor or the quiet race within each party for State Treasurer.
While there are a number of contests happening statewide, this election preview looks only at the candidates that will appear on ballots for city residents. Elections that already have only one candidate running per party will not appear on the ballot, and also won’t appear in this column in the interest of brevity.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Find your polling place and see a sample ballot at My Vote Wisconsin. Given that it is a partisan primary, voters will only be able to cast votes for candidates in a single party. Ballots submitted with votes for say the Democratic gubernatorial primary and the Republican Senate primary will not be accepted.
Below you’ll find basic information for the Democratic primary and you’ll find separate stories on the Republican primary as well an the non-partisan primary for the Common Council. provided by the candidates themselves and a link to their website and Facebook page. And if you click on their name you’ll be brought to any stories written about the candidate. Candidates names are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Democratic Primary – Governor
Matt Flynn. Photo courtesy of Forward with Flynn.
Matt Flynn is a Navy veteran, attorney, and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Flynn is the oldest in a large family and went to school on scholarships. He worked in the kitchen of the dining hall to help pay his way. Flynn’s father Gerard taught at the UW—Milwaukee for many years. After the children were grown, Flynn’s mother Geraldine worked in the Post Office.
Matt and Mary Flynn have been married for 41 years. Mary is originally from Monroe, Wisconsin and worked for many years as a speech pathologist in the Germantown Public Schools.
After college, Flynn joined the Navy. After he was honorably discharged, Matt attended law school at the UW-Madison and then began his legal career in Milwaukee.
Matt was elected Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Under his leadership, the party retired its debt, elected a Democratic Governor, and Democrats took majorities in both houses of the State Legislature.
Matt has helped many Democratic candidates get elected. He has been a strong voice in shaping public policy in Wisconsin.
Tony Evers.
I’ve been an educator my entire adult life.
Some of the most meaningful moments in my life happened in the classroom. I met my wife Kathy in Mrs. Potter’s kindergarten class in my hometown of Plymouth, Wisconsin. My first job was teaching science in Baraboo. Before becoming State Superintendent, I was a high school principal in Tomah, and I ran school districts in Oakfield and Verona. As Superintendent, I’ve worked to ensure every child in Wisconsin can get a world class education by creating a public school system that is fair for all.
I’m not only an educator – I’m also a parent. My three kids attended public schools in communities around the state. No matter where the Evers family ended up, we were welcomed by the community. That culture of acceptance is part of what makes Wisconsin special. It’s also something that’s been missing from our state the last seven years.
I believe that we are stronger when we look out for each other. I’ve been elected State Superintendent three times by a coalition of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans because I know how to treat my political opponents with respect without sacrificing my progressive values. I’ve worked across party lines to get things done for our kids. As governor, I will use these skills to end the divisiveness that has consumed our state.As governor, I will focus on solving problems, not starting fights. I’ve spent most of the last decade running an organization of 400 people, with responsibility over 70,000 educators and 860,000 students throughout the state. I am ready to be Governor on day one.
I would appreciate your support. Thank you for your time.
Josh Pade. Photo from Pade for Wisconsin.
Josh was born in Kenosha to a family that settled there in the 19th century. He started working there as a teenager after the unexpected death of his father, which sent his family into a bureaucratic black hole when their Social Security benefits were cut off.
Searching for a paycheck and affordable health care, Josh developed a strong business sense and a stronger devotion to small Wisconsin communities by working for family companies like Festival Foods. The experience also shaped his political beliefs: he promised his late mother that if he ever had the opportunity to serve the public, he’d dedicate himself to helping families like theirs.
Now, after putting himself through law school, rolling up his sleeves in the private sector, and listening to the concerns of the people of Wisconsin, he’s doing just that.
Mike McCabe
Mike McCabe is as Wisconsin as they come – or as one veteran newspaperman put it, “as Wisconsin as cheese curds.” Mike is farm raised, getting his start in life milking cows and working the land with his family, first in Rock County and then in Clark County. He was born in Stoughton and lived on an 80-acre farm near Evansville in the early part of his childhood, but did most of his growing up on a 200-acre farm outside of Curtiss, a town of about 150 people.
Mike is the founder and president of Blue Jean Nation, a grassroots group dedicated to getting regular people in the driver’s seat of our government. He is the author of Blue Jeans in High Places: The Coming Makeover of American Politics, which inspired the formation of Blue Jean Nation.
For much of his adult life, Mike worked for two of Wisconsin’s most highly respected and fiercely independent government watchdogs – the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. In the early 1980s, he ran a statewide civic education program for the nonprofit Taxpayers Alliance, known for watching over tax collections and bird-dogging how the public’s money is spent.
In 1995 Mike helped start the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group that specializes in tracking the money in state elections and works to make people matter more than money in politics. He led the group for 15 years as its director and during that time was a leading government whistle blower and earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best political money trackers.
Before the Democracy Campaign came along, the only way to see who was donating to elected officials and candidates for office was to travel to the old state Elections Board office in Madison and personally examine mountains of paper reports. The Democracy Campaign entered all of the information on those reports into an electronic database and published it online, making it vastly easier to follow the money in Wisconsin politics. For its efforts under Mike’s leadership, the Democracy Campaign was named the Citizen Openness Advocate of the Year in 2012 by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
Mike’s heart never left the farm, and he has remained active in advocating for sustainable farming practices. His efforts were recognized in 2015 when the Wisconsin Farmers Union gave him its Friend of the Family Farmer Award. Mike also believes passionately in protecting Wisconsin’s precious natural resources and was named Environmental Advocate of the Year in 2004 by the Clean Water Action Council.
Before running the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Mike worked for six years as communications director and legislative liaison for the Madison schools. He also formerly worked as a newspaper reporter and as a legislative aide for three Republican members of the Wisconsin State Assembly. In addition, he served with his wife of 29 years in the Peace Corps in the west African country of Mali. Marilyn and Mike have a high school-age son.
Mike is a 1978 graduate of Owen-Withee High School, which inducted him into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014, and a 1982 graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism, which honored him with its Distinguished Service Award in 2015.
Mahlon Mitchell. Photo courtesy of the Mahlon Mitchell campaign.
Mahlon Mitchell currently serves as President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, being the youngest and first African American to serve in the post.
Mahlon was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Delavan, Wisconsin. He now lives with his wife, April and two children, Sie’anna and Karson in Fitchburg.
Mahlon followed in his older brother’s footsteps when he became a fire fighter in Madison twenty years ago. His two brothers are fire fighters in Atlanta and St. Paul. These careers came out of a family that instilled values of service and working for others.
This sense of service is also exemplified in Mahlon’s other activities. He was a counselor at the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety’s Burn Camp, which he also directed for five years. This summer camp worked with burn-injured youth to help them cope with their unique situation and build a network of support.
Mahlon also worked as a street outreach coordinator with Briarpatch and Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin, where he linked at-risk youth with services from their community.
When the fight over collective bargaining and Scott Walker’s Act 10 law began in 2011, Mahlon led the fire fighters in a monumental stand of solidarity with other public servants. Despite being exempted from the bill, Mahlon and his fellow fire fighters marched on the Capitol with fellow working families that were threatened by the Budget Repair Bill.
Mahlon took the opportunity to travel the state as a fire fighter spreading the word about Scott Walker’s divisive policies. Mahlon ran for Lieutenant Governor as the Democratic nominee in the 2012 recall election.
Recently, Mahlon was instrumental to passing two pieces of legislation that were a huge victory for fire fighters across the state. The Infectious Disease Presumption bill fought to make sure fire fighters are covered if they contract a disease or disability on the job. Additionally, the legislature passed a bill that ensures families and spouses of fire fighters who die in the line of duty will have their health insurance premiums covered.
Kelda Roys. Photo from Kelda for Governor.
Born in Marshfield and raised in Medford and Madison, Kelda loves Wisconsin, our people, our land and water, our progressive heritage, and our midwestern friendliness. Her passion for public service was inspired by her social worker mother, her stepdad, an environmental lawyer from Portage, and her father, a retired prosecutor and law enforcement officer who lives in Wauwatosa.
Kelda and her husband Dan are raising four wonderful, energetic girls. As the mom of two young daughters and stepmom of two teens, Kelda’s commitment to Wisconsin’s future is personal — and she knows a thing or two about managing chaos. Dan is a midwestern Spotted Cow lover and Packers fan who was mistakenly born in Virginia. He works at American Family Insurance but in previous lives was a strategy consultant, fishing software entrepreneur, and lefty pitcher for the Orioles organization.
To win her Assembly seat, Kelda knocked on 20,252 doors to hear people’s concerns firsthand. As a State Representative, she held dozens of listening sessions each year, from forums across the state, to informal “Coffees with Kelda” in coffee shops and diners, and even on Madison Metro buses. Some of Kelda’s best ideas come from these conversations, and she never stops listening to and caring about every person in our state.
Kelda has never been afraid to tell difficult truths, even when it’s unpopular. A longtime board member of Common Cause, Kelda has spoken out about the corrosive influence of big money in politics and authored legislation against Citizens United. Kelda has stood up to leaders in her own party, on issues such as advocating for non-partisan redistricting. When Republicans tried to ram through Act 10 without debate, Kelda’s passionate speech stopped them and gave the public more time to learn about Walker’s attack on workers.
Kelda has been standing up for women and families her whole career. In the Assembly, she stood out as an influential and effective lawmaker, delivering results for working families and helping lead the opposition to Governor Scott Walker’s radical agenda. As vice-chair of the Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Kelda expanded health coverage to over 80,000 previously uninsured Wisconsinites. Kelda stood up to the chemical lobby and authored the BPA Free Kids Act, to stop the neurotoxin bisphenol A from being put in baby bottles.
As executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin for four years, Kelda traveled our state and developed innovative, successful efforts to expand reproductive healthcare access. Working with an anti-choice Assembly, she helped Wisconsin pass its first pro-choice law in three decades, the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act. Kelda also worked on initiatives to reduce infant mortality and the need for abortion, and to decrease racial disparities in health care.
Kelda is the CEO and Founder of OpenHomes, a real estate brokerage that uses technology to help people sell and buy homes more easily and affordably. Frustrated with the high fees and inconsistent service of traditional brokerages, Kelda created an innovative, low-cost real estate brokerage while pregnant with her first child. Kelda’s growing company has created good paying jobs for Wisconsinites and serves customers in 41 counties across Wisconsin. As an employer and entrepreneur, Kelda understands how to create jobs, and she knows the importance of small businesses to a vibrant, growing economy.
In addition to her professional work, Kelda has been an active community leader for two decades. She volunteers at her daughter’s preschool, and has taught Sunday school at her church. Kelda has also served on many boards including the ACLU of Wisconsin, TEMPO Madison, Common Cause, Wisconsin Women’s Council, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Madison Repertory Theater, Public Interest Law Foundation, the Dane County Democratic Party’s Executive Board, and the Wisconsin State Bar Legal Services Committee.
Rep. Roys was elected Democratic Caucus Chair by her fellow state representatives, where she helped lead the opposition to Walker’s attack on workers during the historic Act 10 protests. Kelda passed laws on a wide range of progressive issues, including health care, economic justice, election and campaign finance reform, consumer protection, child safety, conservation, fiscal responsibility and criminal justice reform.
Kelda earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin, where she worked for the Wisconsin Innocence Project, helping free wrongfully convicted people from prison. As an attorney she represented people, non-profits, and small businesses, while providing free legal services to Wisconsinites in need. Kelda also served on the State Bar’s committee to expand access to free legal services.
Kelda is ready to restore opportunity and fairness to Wisconsin as our next governor. No other candidate brings her proven record of progressive accomplishments, her effective leadership in state government, her executive experience in the private and non-profit sectors – and most of all, her passion and positive vision for our state’s future.
Paul Soglin. Photo from Soglin for Governor.
Paul Soglin is the longest serving – and most effective – mayor in Madison’s history. He has been Madison’s Mayor for more than 20 years, spanning four decades.
Mayor Soglin has always been that rare elected leader unafraid to do what’s right — breaking ground by hiring more women and people of color; raising the minimum wage; creating record numbers of senior, affordable and low-income housing; standing with Senator Gaylord Nelson on the first Earth Day; getting large public projects built.
Paul Soglin enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall of 1962 as a pre-med student. He graduated in 1966 with honors in history and then spent three years in the UW History graduate program, before obtaining his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972.
His lifelong dedication to social justice, equal rights, and making government responsive to the people it serves, began early. While in high school, in the spring of 1959, he joined in “sympathetic boycotts” at the Woolworth store in downtown Chicago. While still an undergraduate, he participated in the North Shore Summer Project in 1964-1965, a groundbreaking effort to create open housing in the Chicago suburbs.
On the UW Campus, Soglin participated in the 1967 demonstrations against the Dow Chemical Company, manufacturers of Agent Orange. Beaten by police during the demonstrations, Soglin was elected to lead the subsequent student strike.
As Wikipedia notes, “Much of this demonstration was captured on film, and an interview of Soglin by journalist and author David Maraniss served as the basis for several chapters of the book They Marched Into Sunlight, and for the PBS documentary Two Days in October. Interview footage with Soglin also figures prominently in the documentary, The War at Home (1979), which chronicled the history of Madison in the Vietnam War era.”
Paul was elected to Madison’s Common Council in 1968. He was re-elected in 1970 and 1972.
He was first elected Mayor of Madison in 1973. Elected twice more in the 1970’s, Soglin served as Madison’s mayor until 1979. In 1975, Mayor Soglin gave the key to the city to Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro.
From 1979 to 1980, Soglin was a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After working for nearly a decade as a lawyer in Madison, Soglin returned to elected office in 1989, serving three additional terms as Madison mayor until 1997.
He resigned as Mayor in 1996 when taking on the challenge of running against Republican congressman Scott Klug. For the next 15 years, Paul worked in the private sector as a financial advisor at Lincoln Financial; as the administrator at Epic Systems, leading the phased move of Epic’s 2,600 employees to its new corporate campus, overseeing its $23 million investment program and helping developing Epic’s charitable-giving program; and serving as a consultant. He also taught at the LaFollette School of Public Affairs, leading graduate seminars in public finance, public management, and public personnel practices.
In 2011, Soglin again ran for Mayor of Madison, winning a close race against a two-term incumbent. He was re-elected by a record setting margin in 2015. Mayor Soglin announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Governor in January, 2018.
Kathleen Vinehout. Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vinehout campaign.
Kathleen, 59, followed her dream over two and half decades ago when she started her own dairy farm in rural Buffalo County, milking 50 cows in an old red barn with tie stalls. The farm is now certified organic and produces hay and grain.
She came into politics late in her career. In 2006, she ran for State Senate and beat a popular Republican incumbent in a mostly rural district. She has been reelected twice.
In the Senate, she has worked to make health care affordable, bring more equity to school funding, and find alternatives to incarceration. As a member of the audit committee, she has overseen the evaluation of state programs and has sought to make the state run more efficiently. In each of the last four budget cycles, she has written alternative budgets that reflect the different choices that she would have made with the money available.
Some of these choices include making all technical colleges and two-year UW campuses free for Wisconsin residents, expanding Badgercare to cover 79,000 more people, healing the deep cuts to our university system, and adding $100 million to fund broadband across the state.
Before entering politics, Kathleen taught in and directed the Health Service Administration program at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Before that, she directed the education department at the Visiting Nurses Association in St. Louis. She has graduate degrees in Health Services Research and Public Health and an associate degree in Agriculture.
Growing up, her family often had problems making ends meet. Her dad was a construction worker and a member of the Laborers’ International Union. Her mom was a nurse. Both served in the Air Force during the Korean War. When she was a farmer, her family struggled for nearly two years without health insurance.
Today, Kathleen still lives on her farm with her husband, Doug, and son Nathan. In her spare time, she enjoys her two horses: Vana and Rosie and her cat, Rustle.
Andy Gronik and Dana Wachs will both appear on the ballot, but have dropped out from the race.
Democratic Primary – Lieutenant Governor
I’m a third generation Sheboyganite from a strong, union family. The Wisconsin values of hard work and equal opportunity have guided me throughout my life. I am a proud alumni of the UW System, and strong believer of the Wisconsin Idea. My wife Abby and I have gained experience living across the country, and now we live a few blocks away from my childhood home.
We can all recognize the importance of this election. In 2018, we have the opportunity to create real, positive change in our state. We can’t afford to have the same players holding all the power, making the same decisions. We’ve seen where that gets us; rolled back education, bad investments, and Wisconsinites left behind. It’s time for new leadership in Wisconsin. That’s why I’m running for Lieutenant Governor. I’ve spent my career innovating businesses, organizations, and nonprofits to help them succeed in our changing world. In this election we need to make new choices. With your support, we can rewire Wisconsin to create a place where everyone of us, every generation, can live, work, and thrive.
I’ve spent the last decade working with businesses, organizations, and nonprofits to help them transform to meet the needs of the new economy. From working for a large, established company, to building a small startup with my wife, I’ve learned how organizations of all types work. I helped bring together community leaders, school administration, and the legislature to bring new facilities to the University of Green Bay, and I’ve worked throughout my life to bring arts education to public schools. I’ve spent 10 years successfully innovating and delivering results. Wisconsin deserves results and if you believe so too, I’m asking for your support.
Mandela Barnes, a Milwaukee native, was born in the city’s poorest and the nation’s most incarcerated zip code. The difference for him was opportunity. He was raised in a middle class union household and learned the value of hard work early in life. Having attended both public and private schools, education has always been important to him, and making sure that every child in our state has a fair shot remains a top priority.
At age 25, Mandela was elected to the State Assembly where he emerged as a champion on issues of the economy, criminal justice reform, and healthcare. He became the chair of the legislature’s Black and Latino Caucus in his first term, became a national leader on gun violence prevention, and was recognized as one of the top pro-growth progressive leaders in the country.
Mandela has spent the last year traveling across the country, working with state legislators and advocacy groups to score progressive victories and beat back regressive attacks based on the ALEC agenda in the deep South, and back home to the Midwest. Not surprisingly, when we lead with a vision, we win. It’s time for us to get back on the winning side of things, and not just elections, actually delivering for everyday people.
With income inequality in Wisconsin at its highest point since the Great Depression, and a poverty rate of 12% (statewide), we are in urgent need of new leadership. We need meaningful reforms to get the state back on track, and to provide opportunity across all 72 counties. We deserve living wage jobs, access to quality and affordable healthcare, and great schools for our children. We have a long way to go, and that’s why Mandela is running for Lieutenant Governor. We will deliver a brand new deal to make Wisconsin work for working people once again.
Democratic Primary – Secretary of State
Doug made his first run for office in 1970 in the Democratic primary bid seeking to represent Wisconsin in Congress. He served a term as a state senator from 1972—1974 for Kenosha, during which time he authored legislation which provided family planning care to women for the first time in Wisconsin’s history. He was then elected Secretary of State and has been reelected every four years for the past 30 years.
Throughout his years of public service he has fought against the corrupting influence of big money on politics. He has rejected high-spending campaign tactics and has followed the path of the great Wisconsin Senator Bill Proxmire, who depended on his relationship with the people to get elected.
Doug has deep environmental roots in this state. He started Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, now Clean Wisconsin, and has been fighting for local, renewable energy since the 1970’s. He helped the late Gaylord Nelson organize the first Earth Day in 1970 and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the Assistant Director to the Mid-American Solar Energy Complex.
Doug La Follette earned his Ph.D in organic chemistry from Columbia University and went on to teach as an Assistant Professor of chemistry and ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Arvina Martin has devoted her life to advocating for Wisconsin families.
An enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Arvina was born and raised in Madison, where her father, a retired public servant who served in the administrations of President George H.W. Bush and Gov. Tommy Thompson, and mother, a former Ho-Chunk legislator who has worked in health and education, instilled in Arvina a deep appreciation for the Wisconsin Idea.
After graduating from Dartmouth College with a degree in Native American studies, and a particular focus on public policy analysis, Arvina returned to Madison, where she began her career in public service. As an admissions advisor at the University of Wisconsin, Arvina worked for several years to recruit a more diverse student body and expand opportunities for students of color.
Arvina then took time to begin her most important job — mom. Her daughter is now nine years old and attends the same public school that Arvina and her sister attended as kids.
In motherhood, Arvina found an even deeper passion to serve her community and advocate for fairness and opportunity for all. That passion led her into politics, where she became involved with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin during the historic Wisconsin uprising over Scott Walker’s anti-union Act 10 legislation, and then worked as the Native American Vote director on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. Following the Obama campaign, Arvina served as the Chief Communications Officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation legislature and worked on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s 2016 voter protection team, before returning to state government as a statewide tribal liaison and policy analyst for the Department of Transportation.
Arvina currently represents Madison’s 11th aldermanic district and is the first Native American woman to be elected to the Madison City Council. She remains a strong advocate within the Democratic Party, particularly on addressing racial disparities and protecting the voting rights of all Americans.
Democratic Primary – State Treasurer
Dawn Marie Sass is a Democratic candidate for Wisconsin State Treasurer in 2018. Formerly the State Treasurer until the Tea Party wave swept Democrats out of power in 2010, Dawn is the only candidate that actually understands the office and is running on the values of honesty, loyalty and a great work ethic.
Her priorities include forming a State Bank and making her votes on the Public Land Board based on science and fiscal responsibility over political agendas.
Hopefully you can help her restore responsibility to this position with your public support.
Cynthia Kaump has the experience, relationships, and values to be the State Treasurer Wisconsin needs. A Wisconsin native born in Madison in 1973, Kaump owns and runs two successful businesses based in her beloved home state. Kaump is a licensed insurance intermediary undergoing full financial securities licensing as part of a successful female-founded Wisconsin financial firm. It has managed a socially-responsible portfolio for clients the past 40 years valued in the high hundreds of millions. This makes Cynthia Kaump the most financially credentialed candidate for Wisconsin State Treasurer. While serving as Director of Communications and Community Outreach for the Office of the State Treasurer, Kaump built a series of new revenue-generating and community-facing programs while the office set state and national records for the performance of those programs. Many involved better financially positioning children and women of color in Wisconsin. Kaump’s direct experience with the office and legislature spanning more than a decade makes her a tireless advocate for retaining, restoring, and rebuilding the role of State Treasurer. Kaump is also an award-winning TV news journalist and writer who viewers trusted to tell the truth and hold the powerful accountable in communities across the state and nation for more than 20 years. Cynthia Kaump has the experience, the compassion, the relationships and the values you can trust to be our state’s financial guardian. Join our campaign to build a better financial future for Wisconsin. Together, we can do this.
Sarah is running for Treasurer because Wisconsin deserves a Treasurer that will listen to and invest in Wisconsinites. Sarah is the only candidate with the financial expertise and business savvy to be an effective fiscal watchdog. As Treasurer she will provide critical checks and balances to the Governor and the Legislature.
Last fall, Sarah led the successful coalition effort to save the office of the State Treasurer in Wisconsin.
Sarah Godlewski is a finance expert and small business owner from Eau Claire, WI. Sarah works with government agencies, investors, and companies in the private and non-profit sectors to save costs and improve performance.
Democratic Primary – Representative in Congress
Gary George was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served 22 years in the Wisconsin State Senate. He is currently seeking election as a United States Representative serving the 4th District of Wisconsin. He’s a licensed attorney and a proud family man.
The first African-American woman in Wisconsin history to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Gwen Moore took her official oath of office on January 4, 2005. In January of 2011, Congresswoman Moore was elected Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Women’s Caucus by her fellow female colleagues. In this capacity, she has become a leader on issues like health insurance reform, women’s health, domestic violence and maternal and infant mortality – problems that affect women both at home and abroad. She served as Democratic Vice Chair from 2009 to 2011.
In her committee work, Congresswoman Moore is a member of the prestigious House Committee on Financial Services, which has jurisdiction over the banking, insurance and housing industries. She serves on two subcommittees of the House Committee on Financial Services, including the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises and the International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee. Rep. Moore also sits on the House Budget Committee, which oversees the federal budget process, reviews all bills and resolutions on the budget, and monitors agencies and programs funded from the budget process. She is also a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
Congresswoman Moore is a strong advocate for measures that focus on improving the economic and employment conditions in low-income communities. She has fought to curb predatory lending in minority neighborhoods, supported sound efforts to help small businesses grow and advance the creation of new jobs, pushed for more affordable housing, and advocated for compliance with respect to the non-discriminatory hiring of minority-owned businesses for government contracts.
She has been an ardent supporter of initiatives that put low-income students on the path to educational success. She has consistently supported legislation to ensure low-income students have access at school to three nutritious meals a day, year-round, as good nutrition has been proven to improve children’s attendance and attentiveness. Congresswoman Moore has also advocated for Federal TRIO programs, which are designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them get to college. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first generation college students — and students with disabilities — to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs.
When it comes to our troops, Representative Moore has been a strong advocate for boosting the efforts of the U.S. Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Department to ensure our nation’s service members and veterans get the care they need to successfully address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In order to combat the stigmas associated with PTSD, Congresswoman Moore has introduced legislation to promote confidential mental health care services for members of the military.
She has also supported increased funding for PTSD research and treatment programs. With her colleagues, Congresswoman Moore has led efforts urging the Army to help reduce the perception that seeking mental health counseling will negatively impact a person’s military career and promotion prospects.
Born in Racine, Wisconsin in 1951, Congresswoman Moore was raised in Milwaukee. The eighth of nine children, Rep. Moore’s father was a factory worker and her mother was a public school teacher. Congresswoman Moore attended North Division High School in Milwaukee where she served as Student Council President. After graduation, Rep. Moore started college at Milwaukee’s Marquette University as a single, expectant mother on welfare who could only complete her education with the help of TRIO. Congresswoman Moore earned a B.A. in Political Science from Marquette, and went on to serve as a community leader, spearheading the start-up of a community credit union as a VISTA volunteer for which she earned the national “VISTA Volunteer of the Decade” award from 1976-1986.
She served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1993-2004. Prior to her election to the Senate, Congresswoman Moore served two consecutive terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1989-92. In 2000, Congresswoman Moore earned a Harvard University Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. As a state legislator, Congresswoman Moore was a champion of progressive and social issues and has continued to stand up as a voice for each and every constituent and neighborhood across the city. She applied her career expertise to help create jobs and build communities. She made a positive impact in critical issues related to welfare, education and criminal justice. A tireless advocate of women’s rights and civil rights, Congresswoman Moore led the fight against racial profiling, domestic abuse and voting rights violations.
Democratic Primary – Milwaukee County Sheriff
Dr. Richard Schmidt is a 32 year veteran of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office. Hired in 1986, he has served under four sheriffs, each of whom promoted Dr. Schmidt in recognition of the skills and leadership he brings to the agency and to the community.
Rising from Sergeant (1996) to Captain (2002) to Deputy Inspector (2003) to Inspector, Detention Services (2006) and Inspector, Senior Commander, Schmidt was named Acting Sheriff in 2017 upon the sudden departure of his predecessor.
In the nine months since assuming the role of Milwaukee County Sheriff, Richard Schmidt moved quickly to make his impression on the safety and security of Milwaukee, instituting nine major initiatives.
Within eight hours of becoming Sheriff, he invited the National Institute of Corrections to review jail operations. Six months later they gave Schmidt credit for “aggressively” addressing the long list of problems they identified.
Since becoming Sheriff he has prioritized being present in the community and transparent in the media in order to highlight the fresh, new cooperative way he works with all elected officials, appointees, government officials, law enforcement executives, community leaders, faith based groups and all citizens regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, political persuasion or personal beliefs.
I am Robert Ostrowski, and I am running for Sheriff of Milwaukee County 2018. I would like to ask for your support and vote in the fall primary on August 14, 2018. I have a vision of a sheriff’s office that we can all be proud of, where morale is high and dedicated personnel strive to provide professional service.
The time has come for change. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office has to be fiscally responsible and accountable. It’s time to fulfill the needs of our community first. I understand that the economy is tough, budgets are tight, however the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office must provide services to the community for which they pay for, expect, and deserve.
I have been a Deputy Sheriff at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years. As the former President of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs Association, I am aware of the issues within the agency with respect to staffing, overtime, working conditions,and morale.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is unique compared to all other sheriff’s offices in the state. All of the municipalities within Milwaukee County have a full-time police department. As the sheriff I want to partner with all of the Law Enforcement agencies in the county. I do not want to duplicate any service provided by the local police departments. I want to work with the community leaders to assist and supplement in their community when needed. The goal is to be proactive and make Milwaukee County safe.
Earnell Lucas serves as Major League Baseball’s Chief Liaison of Security & Investigations for the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. He is responsible for developing security best practices for the 160 clubs in Minor League Baseball, making security presentations to the players at the major and minor league levels and conducting investigations to safeguard the integrity of Major League Baseball. He previously served as the Vice-President of Security and Facility Management, charged with overseeing the security operations for all of Major League Baseball, and as the Supervisor of Security for Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig.
Earnell is a 25-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department, retiring at the rank of captain. He holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude in Criminology and Law Studies from Marquette University, and management certificates from the Police Executive Research Forum (51st Session), Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy (191st Session) and Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety (82nd Session), where he was awarded the coveted Franklin M. Kreml Leadership Award.
Earnell is a product of Milwaukee Public Schools, graduating from Rufus King High School. He was raised by a grandmother who moved to Milwaukee upon the death of his mother to raise three young boys. His father was the longtime business manager at Laborers’ International Union 113.
Earnell’s interest in law enforcement was shaped by an encounter he had as a young boy with a police officer who accused him of stealing a woman’s purse. Earnell told the officer he had not stolen a purse but instead was on the way to the store for his grandmother. Knowing that Earnell was not involved in a theft, the officer drove off and Earnell continued on his way. It was there that Earnell saw the awesome power and authority a law enforcement officer has and aspired to use that authority in a manner that served the community well. When Earnell joined the police department, one of the first officers he met was the officer he had encountered. To this day, that officer and his brother, also a police officer, and Earnell remain friends. As a young police officer, Earnell was seriously wounded by an assailant’s gunshot to the right side of the face, nearly making the ultimate sacrifice. After months of rehabilitation, Earnell gathered the courage to return to duty because of his passion and commitment to serving and protecting our community.
Earnell is married to his wife of 24 years and has two adult children and one grandchild. He is an active member of St. Matthew CME Church, which he has attended for over 50 years. He has served on the boards of the Grand Avenue Club and Sojourner Family Peace Center.
Earnell is a candidate for Milwaukee County Sheriff to restore honor, integrity and professionalism to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
Democratic Primary – Assembly – 9th Assembly District
Josh Zepnick was born and raised in Milwaukee. He was born March 21, 1968 to Jeri and Gordon Zepnick who still live in the district today. Josh graduated from Rufus King High School, has a B.A. from the UW-Madison and received a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota in 1998.
Representative Zepnick is a full-time Legislator and was a former Project consultant for the Milwaukee Jobs Initiative, Milwaukee Community Service Corps, and Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin. Josh has also served as a Research Associate at the Center for Democracy and Citizenship; he is a former Aide to State Senator Bob Jauch and Congressman David R. Obey. Representative Zepnick was elected to the Assembly 2002; reelected since 2004.
Representative Zepnick is a member of the Jackson Park Neighborhood Association, Jackson Park Business Association, South Side Business Club. Josh is also a former member of the UFCW, Local 1444.
Marisabel Cabrera is what you would call a true success story. Born and raised in Milwaukee’s Southside, Marisabel’s family struggled to get by and on more than one occassion relied on the neighborhood church for food and other basic necessities. Marisabel became acutely aware of her family struggles at the age of seven when her family resided in Puerto Rico and survived solely off the food they planted, the animals they raised and the clothes they made. She remembers her parents constantly emphasizing that the surest way out of poverty is through a good education. To this day, Marisabel says she owes all of her success to the quality education she received at public schools.
Despite having a very modest childhood, today Marisabel is a local entrepreneur, respected immigration attorney, and mayoral appointee to the Fire and Police Commission. As an attorney with her own immigration practice, Marisabel fights to keep families together and assist immigrants in finding safety in the United States. As a Fire and Police Commissioner, she strives to strike a balance between providing the Fire and Police Departments with the training and resources necessary to perform their public safety duties while ensuring that transparency and accountability are not forgotten.
Marisabel Cabrera is running for the state assembly so that each and every person, regardless of nationality, gender or orientation, has the same opportunities, services and protections to prosper and safely enjoy their home and community. Marisabel’s experience as an advocate with a winning record and a reputation for integrity will provide the 9th district with a representative who will work harder to bring about the change the district deserves and who will proactively seek solutions to the district’s greatest challenges.
Democratic Primary – Assembly – 16th Assembly District
Born, raised, and educated in the 16th District, Haywood is a familiar face in Milwaukee’s political arena and has long been in the community doing the work. Serving as Milwaukee’s Youth Council President from 2015-2017, Haywood worked with the City of Milwaukee’s Community Development Block Grant Office where he led the process that allocated funding for programs that focused on youth employment and education. Haywood was a catalyst in developing the Milwaukee Public School’s, “MPS Cares” and the “#No Free Rides” initiatives. Currently he is the Chair of the Common Council’s Restorative Justice Initiative Advisory Board where he works closely with the Mayor’s Office, the City of Milwaukee’s Police Department, and the Municipal Court to create a Youth Court charged with reducing recidivism, encouraging positive behavior, and empowering young people.
The son of working-class parents, Rick Banks is a proud MPS graduate of Riverside University High School. Staying true to his hometown roots, he studied political science and economics at UW-Milwaukee. He is also a graduate of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute, and the Associates in Commercial Real Estate programs.
Raised in the District, Rick has dedicated his life to bettering his community. He has a long history as a community organizer andadvocate with organizations such as Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative.
Rick serves in many volunteering and leadership capacities, including tutoring local youth and volunteering with local churches. As a community organizer, Rick has listened to the concerns of hundreds of residents and worked to create solutions. He has organized home repair grants, youth programs, neighborhood cleanups, park improvements and other initiatives.
Rick and his fiance, Javon, have lived in the Riverwest neighborhood for almost two years.
Your candidate has been part of this community for many years, working tirelessly to make it a better place. As a proud Volunteer for the Salvation Army, The Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Clubs, The Stillwater Collective, Womens African American Womens Center and many more, your next 16th District Wisconsin State Assembly Candidate understands service.
We know the value of being connected. And when Brandy Bond is your next 16th District Wisconsin State Assembly Representative she will face the hard problems. Keeping familes safe, protecting female rights, building people not jails. Investing in Main street not Wall Street. Using common sense and communication.
My passion for public service began at age eight when I joined my parents, Gwen Moore and Tolokun Omokunde, in working relentlessly for a better community. I have named my campaign, “Supreme for the People”, because my mission is to serve the community and my neighbors.
As a young man I received training in community leadership through Public Allies in Milwaukee, part of the National AmeriCorps Program. After about a decade of experience working in the community, I first ran for office in 2015, and was elected Milwaukee County Supervisor for the 10th District.
As a Milwaukee County Supervisor, I have served on the Finance and Audit Committee, which adjusts and adopts the annual $1 billion Milwaukee County Budget, and I have served as Chair of the Community on Health and Human Needs. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to contribute to a culture of collaboration in county government, and I’m proud the solutions we have achieved on some very difficult issues.
Democratic Primary – Assembly – 18th Assembly District
Having been born and raised in Milwaukee and living a great portion of my life in the 18th Assembly District, I seek to work alongside the Residents of the 18th Assembly District to promote change. My wife and I are proud homeowners in the Sherman Park Neighborhood and we refuse to give up on our neighborhood despite the economical and societal ills that have adversely impacted it.
I have faced obstacles all my life and have been told what I couldn’t do. I acknowledge that I am not a politician but I am a problem solver and I gladly accept the challenges of this position. My goals are: to lower the high unemployment rate in the City of Milwaukee, address education issues to close the achievement gap and to work diligently to combat the crime that continues to plague not only the 18th Assembly District but the City of Milwaukee.
I am asking for your support and vote to work on your behalf to achieve these goals as we move forward.
Milwaukee has made my life richer. When I moved to the City, the West side pulled me in and has never let me go. I am proud to live in the Historic Concordia Neighborhood, in a home saved from the grasp of foreclosure near the intersection of N. 27th and State Streets.
The opportunity to serve in public office is my dream job. I grew up in a political household, where we spoke about policy, politics and public service. When I was a boy, I dreamed of serving in office and being a part of positive, progressive change in Wisconsin. I consider the opportunity I’ve been given by the people of the 18th Assembly District a great honor and work hard to earn it everyday.
I openly confess to being a political addict or junky. I love the process and enjoy debates, hearings, and all things Wisconsin politics. Outside of politics, I love spending quality time with my family. I have fallen in love with my fiancé, Gabriela Leija, a new attorney and State Public Defender. We live with our endless energy dog Pistachio, my shadow and guard dog. We enjoy opening our home to entertain, but nothing competes with a quiet movie night at home.
The 18th Assembly District is full of surprises. There are always new, exciting businesses, restaurants, art galleries, neighborhood festivals, activities, and so much more. The fabric of our community is so rich and so exciting; I encourage everyone to explore the neighborhoods and institutions that make our community so unique.
Political Contributions Tracker
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- April 1, 2015 - Josh Zepnick received $50 from Evan Goyke
