Crowley Calling Special Election for Vacant Board Seat

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will call a special election for the seat left vacant on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors by the recent resignation of Dyango Zerpa.

“As a county, it’s important that we do all we can to ensure that all residents are fairly, justly, and equitably represented on the County Board of Supervisors,” Crowley said in a statement Wednesday. “Calling a special election ensures that the seat is filled this year and that the constituents of the 14th do not have to go an entire year without a democratically elected representative serving as a voice for their interests on the County Board.”

The county executive will officially call for the election on Feb. 14. This will allow the primary election for the board seat to be held on the same day as the spring general election on April 4 — saving election costs. A special general election would then be held on May 5.

Anyone who wants to run for Zerpa’s seat must turn in nomination papers with at least 200 signatures to the Milwaukee County Election Commission by March 7. Signatures cannot be collected until after Crowley officially calls the special election.

Zerpa resigned his seat on the board in Jan. His attorney Michael Maistelman said the supervisor was leaving his elected office to “pursue other career opportunities.”

The former supervisor resigned just eight months into his first term on the board. In July 2022, he was fired from the state Legislature where he worked as an aide to State Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez.

Zerpa had also previously worked as a legislative aide for Ortiz-Velez during her time on the county board. After Ortiz-Velez opted not to run again for county board, Zerpa ran for her seat

Following his firing, government insiders and close observers began to speculate about Zerpa’s campaign finance reports. Also in July, Zerpa overcharged a county credit card for a hotel in Puerto Rico, then lied to county staff about why the charge existed.

Zerpa did not show up for any of his committee assignments in January. He last attended a meeting of the county board on Dec. 15.

Ortiz-Velez responded to a request for comment shortly after Zerpa’s resignation became public, saying, “District 14 needs strong effective leadership and representation at the county level. I look forward to the community coming together and electing someone who will represent our community.”