DiAndre Jackson Will Replace Rainey on Common Council

DiAndre Jackson. Photo from Jackson for Alderman campaign.

DiAndre Jackson will be the new voice for the middle of Milwaukee on the Common Council.

Jackson won a competition to replace Khalif Rainey as alderman of the city’s 7th Council District.

He won 61.3% of the vote (2,776 votes) to Jessica Currie‘s 37.6% (1,702 votes).

The two emerged from a wild four-way primary in which every candidate earned at least 21% of the vote.

Jackson is a former Master Lock employee and was active with the company’s UAW-affiliated union until the plant began its closure last year. He introduced President Barack Obama when he visited the facility in 2012. Jackson said the plant closure spurred him to run and his vision is to establish Milwaukee as the number one place for apprenticeships and family-supporting careers. His campaign is backed by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and appeared to pick up steam after the primary.

Currie has gone from being a homeless teen mom and dropping out of high school to becoming the founder of the Missionary Currie for Women and Children, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency shelter and supportive services to women and children. She is also a real estate agent. “I am giving a voice to the voiceless,” she said at a community forum in describing why she is running.

The seventh district includes Century City and the Sherman Park, Old North Milwaukee, Franklin Heights, Roosevelt Grove, Sunset Heights, Saint Joseph, Lincoln Creek, Wahl Park and Hampton Heights neighborhoods.

Rainey has represented the district since 2016. He waited until Dec. 21, well into the campaign filing period, to file a declaration of noncandidacy, but a robust field of candidates had already emerged.

The outgoing alderman has not announced what he plans to do next.

The voting age population of the 7th District, according to 2021 redistricting data, is 8% white, 84% Black, 4% Hispanic and 2% Asian.

Jackson is one of at least three new council members that will be elected Tuesday.

The 15 council members are elected to four-year terms and paid $84,205 annually. Their job responsibilities include everything from setting policy for the city to fielding constituent concerns about garbage pickup and snow removal.