Hamilton Ally May Run for His Seat
Marvin Pratt's daughter may run. Ald. Hamilton's bid for mayor now seems all but certain.
Council president and Alderman Ashanti Hamilton‘s potential run for mayor appears more and more likely. The daughter of a political ally has confirmed she may run for his aldermanic seat.
Andrea Pratt, daughter of former acting mayor and council president Marvin Pratt, is considering running for Hamilton’s 1st District council seat. Hamilton and Marvin Pratt are longtime allies, Hamilton having won the election to fill Pratt’s seat when the council veteran ran for mayor in 2004.
Andre Pratt told Urban Milwaukee: “Yes, I am considering running,” before declining to answer any other questions. Pratt, 41, currently serves as the parent coordinator at Milwaukee Public Schools‘ Rufus King High School.
The news comes just weeks after Hamilton filed campaign finance paperwork to fundraise for mayor, raising his contribution limit from $770 to $6,000 per contributor. “People from across our City have expressed a need for new leadership and a true vision for the future of Milwaukee,” he said in a statement at the time. “Many people are asking me to prepare to be a candidate for mayor. I am currently taking this request under consideration and I expect to make a decision and have a formal announcement in the coming weeks. The committee registration filing is the first step in that direction.”
It’s unlikely that Pratt would be running for Hamilton’s aldermanic seat unless she was sure he wasn’t running for reelection.
Marvin Pratt, who is still active at City Hall through his work representing license applicants, served on the Common Council from 1986 through 2004. He was acting mayor following the resignation of John Norquist, serving from January 1st, 2004 through April 15th, 2004. He served three months as interim Milwaukee County Executive from February through April 2011 following an appointment by then-board chair Lee Holloway to fill the rest of Scott Walker‘s term. He holds the distinction of being the first African American to hold either office, as well as the first person in Milwaukee’s history to have served in both roles.
Should Andrea Pratt run and win she’ll find a familiar face in City Hall. Her ex-husband Dameon Ellzey is an aide to Hamilton ally, Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II. Their daughter Ayanna Ellzey previously served on the Common Council’s Youth Council, which is made up of young aspiring leaders who “represent young people in their aldermanic districts,” the website for this council notes.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
More about the 2020 Mayoral Race
- City Hall: Barrett, Taylor Debate Remotely for Mayor - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 30th, 2020
- 9 Election Takeaways - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 19th, 2020
- Vote Tuesday: Mayoral Candidates - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 14th, 2020
- City Hall: Presenting the “Real State of the City” - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 12th, 2020
- State of the Other City Address - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Feb 10th, 2020
- Barrett dodges debate? - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Feb 9th, 2020
- Slow To Question, Slow To Respond - State Sen. Lena Taylor - Jan 30th, 2020
- City Hall: Meet the Candidates for City Offices - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 15th, 2020
- City Hall: Conservative in Mayor Race Ejected - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 15th, 2020
- City Hall: Taylor Blames FPC Problems on Mayor - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 5th, 2019
Read more about 2020 Mayoral Race here
Political Contributions Tracker
Displaying political contributions between people mentioned in this story. Learn more.
- December 19, 2022 - Andrea Pratt received $500 from Marvin Pratt
- October 10, 2017 - Ashanti Hamilton received $100 from Marvin Pratt
- March 14, 2016 - Russell W. Stamper, II received $100 from Lee Holloway
- February 8, 2016 - Ashanti Hamilton received $200 from Marvin Pratt
City Hall
-
Council, Mayor At Odds On City Lobbying
Jul 6th, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene -
Rusty Bolts Will Cost City $50,000
Jul 6th, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene -
Milwaukee Wins Grant To Create “Traffic Calming Lending Library”
Jun 30th, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene