Justin Bielinski Running For Open Seat On County Board

Justin Bielinski. Photo courtesy Justin Bielinski.

Justin Bielinski, a former candidate for Milwaukee Common Council, is running for Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors seat currently held Sup. Tony Staskunas.

Staskunas announced in September that he would not seek re-election, having served on the board since 2013. The seat, District 16, includes nearly all of West Allis and a portion of the far west side of Milwaukee.

Bielinski, who works as communications director for State Sen. Chris Larson, told Urban Milwaukee he’s running for a seat on the county board because “there’s a lot of really important things to do.”

The county has gone through “decades of disinvestment” but the additional 0.4% sales tax is putting the county in a “better financial position,” he said. Still, he noted that county policymakers will face challenges related to the finances of the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) and the parks system. Bielienski also mentioned that a recent challenge to Act 10, which eliminated most collective bargaining rights for public sector unions, could lead to a new landscape for public employees to bargain contracts.

“I just think being experienced in state government and community organizing, and having just a passion for government and public service,” Bielinski said. “I just thought this would be a good time to try to exercise that.”

Bielinski is a lifelong Milwaukee County resident. He has a master’s degree in political science from UW-Milwaukee. Bielinski previously worked as a paraprofessional for Milwaukee Public Schools and said his experience working with children inspired him to get involved in shaping public policy.

“You see really quickly sort of the ways in which the system can kind of fail people,” he said.

Bielinski was campaign manager for Mandela Barnes‘ successful 2018 campaign for lieutenant governor.

Bielinski has already run twice for office, both times for District 8 on the Milwaukee Common Council. He lost to then-incumbent Bob Donovan in 2016 (by 161 votes) and to JoCasta Zamarippa in 2020 (by 92 votes).

In 2016, Urban Milwaukee published Bielinski’s reflection on his experience as a first-time candidate after losing to Donovan, who is now a state representative.

After spending more than a decade on the south side of Milwaukee, Bielinski moved to West Allis in 2020, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

He is currently running unopposed for the seat. Candidates have until Jan. 2 to file for candidacy and nomination papers with at least 200 signatures in order to appear on the ballot.

County supervisors are elected to a two-year term. The part-time, nonpartisan position pays $25,924 annually. The county board is the legislative branch of county government.

The general election will be held April 2, 2024. If two more candidates enter the race and gain enough signatures to appear on the ballot there will be a primary in February.