Clerk of Circuit Court

There are two candidates Tuesday’s primary ballot running for an office that most residents have likely never thought about: Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court.

George L. Christenson and Anna Hodges are running for the job, which has a four-year term and is responsible for record keeping for the courts.

Christenson is currently serving as both Clerk of Circuit Court and Milwaukee County Clerk, which are two separate jobs with similar responsibilities. Christenson was appointed to the position by a majority of circuit court judges in February this year, after the previous clerk of court, John Barrett, retired. Barrett, brother of former mayor Tom Barrett, was clerk of court from 1998 until his retirement in January this year.

Hodges is the retired Chief Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court, a position she held from 2018-2022. She was briefly the acting clerk after Barrett retired in January. She’s worked in the office of the clerk of court since 2006.

The election Tuesday is the partisan primary, determining who will be on the ballot in the November general election, but because the only candidates are both running as Democrats the winner of the primary will be the next clerk.

Want to see what’s on your ballot and where to vote? Visit MyVote Wisconsin to see your polling place and access a sample ballot.

Below you’ll find basic information copied verbatim from candidate campaign materials and a link to any available campaign resources. If you click on their name you’ll be brought to any stories written about the candidate. Candidate names are listed in alphabetical order.

George L. Christenson

George Christenson is a lifetime resident of Milwaukee County.  Born and raised in West Allis, George attended West Allis Nathan Hale High School. George earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Political Science as well as a Special Certificate (Minor) in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

George began his commitment to public service in 1993, serving as a Legislative Assistant to Wisconsin State Representative Jeannette Bell.  He moved on to become the Executive Director with the Riverworks Development Corporation, an organization with the mission of reviving Milwaukee’s northeast industrial corridor and creating jobs for residents of the nearby Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods.

In 2003, George was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to serve as Deputy Executive Director & Director of Economic Development of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) in Madison. George supported WHEDA’s mission to stimulate the state’s economy and improve the quality of life for Wisconsin residents by providing affordable housing and business financing products. He led the effort to attract the first allocation of New Markets Tax Credits to the state of Wisconsin, administered the WHEDA Foundation and managed all other economic development programs and activities.

George was appointed Deputy County Clerk in 2010, where he worked with former County Clerk Joe Czarnezki to improve customer service, increase operating efficiencies and modernize the County Clerk’s Office. In 2016 George was elected Milwaukee County Clerk where he continues to fulfill its mission to provide the highest level of service possible at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. As part of his Clerk’s role,  George serves as Executive Director of the Milwaukee County Election Commission, charged with the administration of all county-wide elections, and working cooperatively with all 19 municipal clerks to ensure our elections are free, fair, accessible, efficient, and accurate.

George has three sons, Matthew, Cameron and Bennett. He’s been a long time volunteer with his local BSA Scouting troop. His sons Cameron and Bennett are Eagle Scouts and currently in college. His son Matthew is married and working in the IT Industry. is an Eagle Scout and Bennett is a Life Scout. George lives in Greenfield with his fiancé Kate. He’s also a long-time activist and member of the Democratic Party.

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

Anna Hodges

Anna Hodges is a mother, neighbor, proud public servant, and respected leader in our community’s justice system. She is running for Clerk of Circuit Court because she is the most qualified candidate to lead our county’s court services forward at this critical time.

For nearly three decades, Anna has helped build a stronger Milwaukee County through her service in local and state government. She began her service in the Milwaukee County Executive‘s office before serving as deputy director of the governor’s Milwaukee office, where she helped Milwaukee County residents access state services. In 2000, she joined the First Judicial District in Milwaukee County, where she coordinated criminal court operations, provided services to pro se litigants, and managed the county’s court interpreter program.

In 2006, Anna was appointed as the Civil Division Administrator in the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court. In this capacity, Anna worked to make Milwaukee County’s civil courts as accessible as possible while ensuring their efficient operation. In 2018, she was promoted to the position of Chief Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court, supervising nearly 300 employees across five divisions and overseeing an operating budget of approximately $42 million. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna partnered with leaders throughout county government to help bring Milwaukee County’s judicial operations back toward full functionality, as safely and as quickly as possible.

On January 24, 2022, Anna assumed the duties of the Clerk of Circuit Court following the retirement of longtime Clerk of Circuit Court John Barrett. She served in this role until the appointment of an interim clerk. In this role, Anna led one of the largest court services agencies in Wisconsin, responsible for providing administrative, clerical, and operational support services to Milwaukee County’s trial courts.

Anna was the first woman of color to serve as Chief Deputy Clerk of Circuit Court, and will be the first to serve as Clerk of Circuit Court if elected in the August 9 Democratic primary and November 8 general election.

• Website
• Facebook