Newcomer Running Unopposed for County Board

Sky Capriolo. Photo courtesy of Capriolo’s campaign.

A political newcomer is running for the District 15 seat on the Milwaukee County Board that is currently held by Sup. Peter Burgelis.

Burgelis is not running for re-election to the board at the end of his first term, and is instead running for a seat on the Milwaukee Common Council. First-time political candidate Sky Capriolo is running to replace him.

The deadline to submit all necessary paperwork to appear on the ballot was Jan. 2, so Capriolo will appear on District 15 ballots unopposed during the spring general election on April 2. Barring a successful write-in campaign, Capriolo will be the next supervisor for District 15.

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

Capriolo told Urban Milwaukee that she’s running for the board because she wants to be involved in her community and has been involved in volunteering her whole life. “I am a huge believer in community involvement.”

Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, Capriolo came to Wisconsin to attend UW-Madison, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She and her husband, Tony Capriolo, Assistant News Director for CBS 58, eventually moved to the Chicago area where they raised their children. They moved back to Wisconsin two years ago, settling on the far south side of the city of Milwaukee.

“From what I understand people in the county are very interested in their parks and the environment, which are both things that I hold dear to my heart as well,” Capriolo said. “I’m really excited about just being involved.”

While collecting nomination signatures and campaigning, Capriolo said she’s heard from constituents that they want to county to improve mental health resources, “which is another passion point of mine.”

When federal protection for abortion rights disappeared in 2022, Capriolo was inspired to become politically active. She noted that abortion rights and reproductive health policy will not be something that is changed at the county board level. “But if I can lend my position to educating people on reproductive health and to creating a safer place for women, then that would be an amazing goal.”

Ultimately, Capriolo said she is approaching the job of supervisor as a challenge that must be met. “I’m excited to learn, this is very obviously going to be a huge learning curve for me in the next four or five months,” she said. “And I don’t want anyone to think that I’m coming in knowing anything, really, I’m a super fresh perspective on everything.”

That said, she noted the county has long faced financial pressures and that the development of the annual county budget will likely continue to be a challenge for county policymakers.

“So I guess I would like to see us continue on a fiscally responsible path,” she said. “And making sure that the money that we do have is going toward worthwhile things in the community that are going to help with safety, they’re going to help with equity, diversity, and, you know, making sure that people who live here feel like it’s a wonderful place to live and they want to continue living here.”