Common Council Races
Six of 15 Common Council seats feature three or more candidates.
Milwaukee City Hall. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Milwaukeeans voting in the February 18th spring primary election will find a long list of options on their ballot. While we would normally preview the entire race in one article, the ballot will be a long one and we are breaking our preview into multiple parts.
Depending on where you live in the city, a primary could be on the ballot for a position on the Milwaukee Common Council. Six of the 15 districts have three or more candidates running. All 15 seats will be on the April ballot.
The top two vote-getters in each primary will advance to the April 7th general election.
Below you’ll find basic information provided by the candidates themselves and a link to any available campaign resources. And if you click on their name you’ll be brought to any stories written about the candidate. Candidate names are listed in alphabetical order.
Not sure what district you’re in? Visit MyVote Wisconsin to see your polling place and access a sample ballot.
1st District
Biography requested
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 2004 and most recently re-elected by an overwhelming margin in 2016.
On April 19, 2016, Alderman Hamilton was elected by his peers to serve as the 48th known president of the Milwaukee Common Council. He is the fourth African American in city history to serve in that role.
Throughout his tenure on the council, Alderman Hamilton has written and introduced key legislation including the Milwaukee Opportunities Restoring Employment (MORE) ordinance and the Milwaukee Promise, which was established in 2011 to address poverty, disparities and inequality.
Alderman Hamilton has implemented and supported programs like Be the Change (BTC), a comprehensive program that supports the development, success and achievement of young men of color in Milwaukee. He was also the driving force behind the Milwaukee Promise Zones initiative, which was created to strengthen revitalization efforts in the city’s poorest neighborhoods through the collective input and efforts of community stakeholders, reducing violent crime, improving educational opportunities and creating jobs.
Alderman Hamilton sponsored the Milwaukee Jobs Act, which developed a comprehensive set of policies related to job creation, job opportunity, job quality and job security for Milwaukee residents, establishing a unified strategy to address the crippling joblessness in the City of Milwaukee and the lack of family-sustaining jobs for Milwaukee workers.
Alderman Hamilton co-chairs the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, the goal of which is to address issues of unemployment and under-employment of African-American men in the City of Milwaukee.
Alderman Hamilton has served on numerous boards and commissions throughout his tenure on the council. He served as president of the Milwaukee Public Library Board of Trustees, fostering growth and financial stability. He is a standing board member of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, the Wisconsin Center District and the National League of Cities. He also serves on the Milwaukee Area Technical College Board of Directors.
Alderman Hamilton has been instrumental in the ongoing revitalization of the 30th Street corridor and the development of Villard Library Square.
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton is a proud graduate of Riverside University High School, and earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Marquette University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He participated in the Upward Bound program and worked in Marquette’s Educational Opportunity Program. After graduation, he went on to teach English, and he coached track and football.
He earned his law degree from Thurgood Marshall Law School at Texas Southern University.
Alderman Hamilton is married to Rosha Hamilton, and they are the proud parents of five daughters, two of whom are already in college.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Vince attended North Division High School and Milwaukee Area Technical College to earn his GED. After attending Lakeland College in the evening, where he received a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, he continued his education at UW-Milwaukee to earn a Master’s of Social Work in Child Welfare.
As a Running Rebels mentor, and a case manager at Saint A, he currently continues to serve those in the community who need help the most. Vince has vast experience having served in the U.S. Navy, working as a machine operator, as an industrial purchasing agent and corporate purchasing manager in the banking and technology fields.
Vince and his wife, Taffie-Foster Toney, are active members of Transformation City Church and have raised three children.
Vince has a history and track record of doing what’s right for the residents of his Garden Home neighborhood and district. In 2010, he worked collaboratively with the Milwaukee Police Department to eliminate a drug house in the neighborhood after a lengthy process, eventually the landlord had the disruptive tenants moved. Throughout the process there was difficulty and resistance, but Vince Toney stayed the course and saw it to closure.He has also provided prominent leadership and involvement with the Block Watch Works neighborhood watch program. It connects a network of responsible residents and businesses to keep an eye on the neighborhood’s property and citizens to promote what’s right and to root out what’s wrong. The program also works with businesses in the community to sponsor an annual back-to-school and block watch picnic which provides book bags filled with school supplies for neighborhood children and draw over 200 involved citizens.
5th District
Nikiya Q. Dodd is a lifelong public servant, community leader, and not-for-profit management professional. Elected in 2018, she is the first woman and African American to be elected to the 5th Aldermanic District in the City of Milwaukee, and the first woman elected to the 6th Senate District in the Wisconsin State Legislature. She is the second woman and African American in the history of Milwaukee to be elected to three branches of government in the state.
As Alderwoman, with only 12 months in office, Nikiya sponsored legislation to add over 200 jobs to the 5th Aldermanic District by rezoning underutilized land for the development of a 325,000 square-foot building and future property tax revenue to the City. Alderwoman Dodd also sponsored a resolution urging the Wisconsin State Legislature to allow the City to extend benefits to those in domestic partnerships.
Nikiya hosted the inaugural, day-long tour for neighbors, investors, and community members to Explore the 5th District. Explore 5th District tour is a first of its kind to showcase vibrant neighborhoods, parks, and schools, thriving restaurants, and historical sites, as well as opportunities for business growth and development and homeownership on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side.
Born in Milwaukee, Nikiya is a graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She and her husband purchased their home in the Nash Park neighborhood, over five years ago to raise their son.
I am that neighbor you wave to when you are going to work, the father you see spending time with his daughter at the local restaurant, and most importantly I am, like so many in our community, a person you can always depend on whom you can depend. This can be as simple as giving someone a smile to make their day a little better or rushing to the aide of someone that has been hurt. There is no task too small or too large that I will not take on and tackle! My name is Nick Mcvey and I am running for 5th District Alderman of Milwaukee.
I was raised and have been living in the 5th district most of my life. I attended 81st St. School, 95th St. School, and MSL (formerly known as Wilbur Wright Middle School). My first job was washing dishes at Champion Chicken when I was 14 years old. Like many in the 5th District life was not the easiest, but it was a very classic setting. Staying out and played in the summertime until the streetlight came on and did not have to worry about the many issues we currently face in society right now. For example, issues like reckless driving, human trafficking, and robberies. I am a veteran and served in the Wisconsin Army National guard for 6 years. That was the beginning of my path toward working with the community in a positive way. In the last two years I successfully treated multiple gunshot wounds my neighbor sustained, stop two horrific domestic violence situations (having to draw my weapon both times); and facilitating the closure of a bar that had drug dealing, shootings, and human trafficking present. I mention the situation that involved the closing of that bar because there were so many nights where I had to shield my daughter’s body with my own not knowing if there were rounds about to rip through the walls of our house. I thank God every day for my military training. Despite the issues and dangers our district has, I am currently working as an engineering test technician and raising my beautiful 7-year-old daughter here in the 5th district. I want her to grow up knowing her neighbors and not having to worry about all the issues that we, as responsible community members, should be handling and shaping in a positive way.
There are a few key issues that we need to get back on track. First and foremost, public safety is the number one priority. We need to stop cutting the funding to our public safety budget or we are going to find ourselves with an even larger issue. We need to work on community policing. By that I mean the trust and rapport needs to grow. More foot patrols and police presence bring a sense of security on a visual level for the community and when officers are be able to patrol their own neighborhoods it makes their investment in our neighborhoods personal.
Infrastructure is another key subject that affects the quality of like here in our district. A lot us are concerned with yes, the potholes. These potholes are dangerous, horrible to drive over and often cause damage to vehicles. There is a simple solution that has not been taken into account. There is a technology that has been working in Europe in almost the same climate we have. Embedding steel fibers into asphalt creates the ability to roll a heating element over it to “selfheal”. If the road starts to crack or break apart, we would be able to essentially take a large heated roller over the surface of this asphalt which contracts it back to original form original form. In the long run it would save tens of millions of dollars that could be invested in things like education and health.
Education is the foundation of a lot of issues we are currently facing, not only in our district, but throughout our entire city. We need to bring back and fully fund the Drivers Education Program for MPS as it will absolutely cut down on reckless driving and create confidence in our youth, along with the possibility of reduced auto insurance. We need to strengthen and encourage programs for the trades as in a few years a large part of that work force will be retiring, and we will have no qualified individuals to take on those careers. The trades are also some of the best paying and secure careers we have. We need to bring back home economics programs to our schools, because truth is that a lot of young people aren’t shown how to cook or clean at home because one or both parents are working 2-3 jobs just to scrape by and are not able to show these life skills or be present enough to teach their children.
As a city we have one of the highest STI rates in the nation, let’s bring back Sexual Education/health class. I don’t know about you, but, seeing pictures and being properly educated in STI’s definitely had made me think twice about things. Classes like this aren’t strictly for this subject. Health classes also teach how to properly take care of one’s self when it comes to hygiene and proper nutrition.
Once I take office these are the issues I will promote and work with the community to implement. There is an old saying that most people have heard and has not lost its meaning. “Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime” Let’s go fishing!
I lived at my current location my whole entire life 51 years. My father purchased the property when it was town of Granville. It’s been a hobby farm. We use to have black Angus when I was growing up. I went to Milwaukee Public Schools I also went to MATC and took Automotive servicing along with mechanics and also took auto body when I was in high school. I worked at Kmart as an auto mechanic doing oil changing and tires as one of my first jobs then I got a job working at Bultman Trucking also as a mechanic I also worked at Al’s auto. I owned Hollywood Knights Limousine Service that l did until the housing market crash and people were not using limos like they did before. I went to work for Gessler Auto and then to Price transport. Now I worked on the farm. We do a haunted cornfield in October and I work as a sub hauler transporter. I’m willing to devote my time to our District if elected alderman to help make sure that our taxes don’t go up and that we don’t get charged extra fees, just because we live in the city. There’s a lot of people on fixed incomes that are retiring and do not have extra money to move somewhere else. Some love where they live and should not have to move because they can not afford to stay.
The reason why I’m running for office is because I feel my neighbors were unfairly treated when the city decided to approve a 300000+ square foot warehouse, to be built directly behind their property (115th & good hope road). The city does not have to notify anyone more than 200 feet away from the development so no one really knew about it. The city gave them about 2.4 million dollars in a TIF for sewer and water for no charge to them. Three of houses on Green tree Road were not included in getting any sewer or water. And none of the of houses in the rest of the neighborhood are going to get city water, but will be required to hook up to city sewer within a year. The city will be estimating their bills for sewer. I am concerned about fire protection being that the fire hydrant at 115th and Good Hope Road is out of service and the water line will not be looped to provide proper Fire protection. They do not sell to the public and we will not be getting sales tax on their products they sell. There will probably be additional cost in maintaining the roads and redoing the roads to allow their trucks to be able to get in and out.
When I went to go out and get signatures to be nominated to be an alderperson, I talk to a lot of different people in different areas of our district there are a lot of people interested in seeing the roads repaired. And are concerned about reckless driving and speeding in the city along with a long wait time for response from police. I do not know how it will work for this year, if there will be less police being that the City of Milwaukee will not be replacing officers when they retire.
I am not for expanding the streetcar with any city or TIF funding. A lot of people do not see all the other cost of running the Streetcar like cleaning the tracks especially when it snows to make sure it does not derailed, and a safety is for bicyclist and motorcyclist that are on the route
We have a enough other things that we need to fixing like the water laterals to houses and other buildings, that have lead. It’s not like the people had choices at the time they were put in.I’d be interested in a way that the city would have a pool where vehicles, that city departments could check out, so they wouldn’t have to take their own back and forth across town, like dump trucks,construction vehicles, even regular cars that can be used by different City Departments.
Another thing I like to see if there’s some way to work out something with Summerfest so the taxpayers don’t have to pay for all the police officers that are needed for security.
I like to see if there is a way to update some of the fire equipment and get new maps for the fire houses and if there is a way to get more ambulances so we don’t have to send a fire engine every time for medical. There’s a lot of older people in our community and it’d be a lot easier if they called 911 and an ambulance would show up.
7th District
Ms. Elizabeth Brown is running for Alderwoman in Milwaukee’s 7th district in 2020. She is an outspoken champion for families and children, especially those suffering from trauma. Her books “No More Pain” ” The Voice That Silenced The Pain” is her courageous exploration of her family’s trauma and her “Lizzy Bee The Busy Bee” Series helps children find their voice so they can begin to heal as she has. Elizabeth believes that only through breaking the silence we will be able to break the generational cycles of trauma and violence. Her goal is to bring her wisdom and exit the families inside Milwaukee.
Kenneth Hughes is a native of Milwaukee, born and raised in the heart of 53206. After growing into adulthood, he became frustrated with working jobs where there was little to no chance of career advancement. He decided to take control of his future and reverted back to a trade that his father taught him. So in 1997, he started a building maintenance company and has been self-employed from then on. He currently has 10 employees and several subcontractors employed through him. In addition to being a businessman, he is a husband of 20 years to Tonya Hughes and also pastors Faith Harvest Outreach that is heavily involved in the community. Kenneth is no stranger to community relations. He has worked and provided conflict resolution, administered countless eulogies for parents who has lost children to gun violence in the city, and has lead teams into inner city blocks to give people, as he calls it, an “Exit Strategy” out of a life of crime to a life of hope. Kenneth also founded one of Milwaukee’s largest inner city street festivals, “Youthquake”, where everything is free to the community. The festival is geared towards today’s youth, with a message of stopping the violence. Three words to describe Kenneth: love, dedicated, and sincere.
Khalif Rainey is a native son of Milwaukee, with roots deep in the heart of the city. Born and raised in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code, Alderman Rainey has risen above adversity and has personally endured many of the social ills that our community and our nation are seeking to remedy.
Alderman Rainey attended Milwaukee Public Schools and graduated from Riverside University High School. As a senior in high school, he received a scholarship from philanthropist Jack Rosenberg of Milwaukee to attend college — an opportunity that was critical in allowing him to continue to pursue his education. The only stipulation of the scholarship was that Khalif give back to underserved populations within Milwaukee.
A man of his word, Alderman Rainey returned to Milwaukee after earning a Bachelor’s Degree from the Southern University Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs to begin his career of service. A committed man, he later married high school sweetheart Manadra Rainey, another lifelong Milwaukeean, and together they are raising their daughter, Ayah Belle.
Alderman Rainey grew up with family values that have helped shape his commitment to service. Khalif’s father is a proud UAW member and is now an organizer. Khalif understands the need for family supporting jobs, and he also understands from firsthand exposure how important a strong labor force is to securing those jobs.
Prior to his election to the Common Council, Alderman Rainey served as a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. He also applied his education and training as a staffer for the local District Office of Congresswoman Gwen Moore, where he addressed quality of life issues concerning housing, senior care, transportation, economic development, veterans, environment, taxes, energy and youth.
Second generation born in Milwaukee, Royal went to Auer Avenue school, then to Garden Homes Elementary and in high school, attended Rufus King class of 1975. Joined the United States Air Force where he completed his GED requirements. In 1990, he received his Associate
of Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies from Milwaukee Area Technical College, and then continued at Cardinal Stritch University, graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.Royal started out his career in Oak Creek, WI at Delphi Electronics & Safety, assembling electric automotive parts. During his 26 years of service at the General Motors subsidiary, Royal was the Vice President of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) Local 438 which got him started in a career path towards public service, community activism, and politics.
Royal has served on a range of civic boards from Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Area Technical College to the Social Development Commission, American Civil Liberties Union, MATC Foundation Board of Directors, and currently sets on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Milwaukee as well as the President of the NAACP Milwaukee Branch.
Fred and his wife of 38 years, Darlene Renee, have two sons and six grandchildren.
8th District
My name is Ryan Antczak. I’m a lifelong resident here in the 8th District. I went to Doerfler Elementary from 1979-86, & Walker Middle School from 1986-88. I married my wife April at the Domes in 1999 and I’ve have been an awesome dad to my 3 amazing sons Dylan, Natan, and Ean. I also have the prettiest dog Gracie and a mind boggling cat named Chuck Norris. I attended college to become a teacher & instead took advantage of the opportunity to become a Corrections Officer at the Milwaukee County House of Correction for 18 years. I was mentoring to young men in the jail who have already had a bad life & thought how would things have been different if he had better opportunities as a young man. I had the calling to serve our young men in 2001. After 9/11 I joined the oldest Boy Scout Troop in Wisconsin. The 8th District’s very own Boy Scout Troop 11. I poured my heart & soul into this and under my leadership we have 28 Eagle Scouts since 2005. Which is an amazing accomplishment. The memories & friendships that have come from this are priceless. I joined American Legion Post 18 in 2003 so my Scouts can learn Americanism 1st hand from the very people that fought for our freedoms we enjoy everyday.
I’ve been proud to call the 8th District my home since 2007. My wife Linnea and I own a home in the Burnham Park neighborhood with our dog Molly and our two cats, Neko and Toothy.
When I’m not out talking to voters in the 8th District, I like growing vegetables, listening to music, playing soccer, and hiking – pretty much anywhere there’s a mountain.
I earned my Bachelor’s and Graduate Degrees from UWM, where I studied History, Political Science, and Nonprofit Management.
I can’t wait to start serving as your Alderman. It’s time for new leadership at City Hall, and that’s exactly what I plan to bring if I am fortunate enough to earn your vote!
For the first decade and a half of my adult life, I spent most of my time serving youth, in direct-care mental health and public education settings, including three and a half years at Zablocki Elementary, a part of MPS.
In 2018, I served as campaign manager for our Lieutenant Governor, Mandela Barnes, the first African-American to be elected to that post in our state’s history. I learned so much while traveling the state with Mandela, and I look forward to applying that knowledge to the 8th District.
My name is Christian Saldivar and I am a candidate for 8th District Alderman in the upcoming Spring Election for our district. I call it our district because I am the only candidate running in this election that was brought up, went to school, and worked in this 8th District. Growing up here, I am familiar with all parts of this district and see it is as a melting pot of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is my firm belief that everyone deserves to be heard and that everyone has something to offer to our district and our city. I will work to bring people together based on the common values and goals that we all want for our community. These goals will be focused on attention to community needs, business and community development, and safety and security for families, neighborhoods and businesses.
As your alderman, I will dedicate myself to make our community a safe and neighborly place to live, work and raise a family. We can and will succeed in this endeavor and I will not settle for anything less.
And throughout my work as your alderman, I promise you three things: to work hard for you, to be honest and to be accessible throughout my term. I intend to bring government home to the people of this district. As your alderman, you will have a friend in city government.
If you don’t like what you see, Vote for me.
Our City is running out of control and reckless drivers don’t discriminate!
There was time a when you actually got what you paid for, yes Value. A fair Real Estate Tax Bill.
Now, Re-inspection fees of $350.00 dollars per month for non-complaint properties with building code violations.
Rather than increasing property taxes, The Common Council transferred expenses creating water bills with fees.
They have even added Fees at the City Dump.
If you vote for the MPS Referendum- Real Estate taxes are going to go up again.
The Public Sector Union benefits and pensions will Bankrupt our City. And that is why they continue to provide money to candidates across our city who will vote for their requests at annual Budget Hearings- the end result being higher taxes. Check your mailbox and then you’ll know who’s been doing all nighters with the Unions of our City.
The bottome line is our City is in a financial Crisis. We must increase revenue, and stop spending. And thats why I want to legalize both medical and recreational Marijuana. We need the revenue.
My pledge: Im voting for the People because your family matters.
Angel Sanchez Family comes first.
I’m a Road Builder, Business Owner, Real Estate Investor, with assets exceeding $250,000.00. I am a NRA member, Pro Life, and School Choice.
My kids and my wife believe I’m a great dad and a Great Cook.
JoCasta Zamarripa is running to be Milwaukee’s 8th District alderwoman to ensure that every Milwaukeean has a voice and a seat at the table.
Rep. Zamarripa currently represents the near south side of Milwaukee in the State Assembly, and was born and raised in the neighborhood. JoCasta is the oldest of her four siblings, raised by a single mom. Her grandmother, Alicia, was a migrant farm worker from Eagle Pass, Texas, who moved her family to Wisconsin because she believed there were better economic opportunities for her and her family in the dairy state.
JoCasta was the first Latina elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature, and in 2012, as she was launching her first re-election campaign, she came out as an openly bisexual member of the LGBT community.
During her time in the Assembly, JoCasta has been a leader supporting pro-immigrant policy at the state level. She has championed getting drivers’ cards for undocumented Wisconsinites to make roads safer for everyone, led the fight for tuition equity for Wisconsin dreamers, and fought against bills that would turn our community’s police officers into immigration agents. She has also been a strong advocate for public schools, challenging the voucher program, and prioritizing quality, affordable healthcare for all, pushing for higher wages and fair taxes, a clean and safe environment, and ensuring our democracy works for all.
JoCasta’s first job was a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel paper route in the 8th aldermanic district. Later in life, she went on to work for both Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and as an organizer Fair Wisconsin. She also served as a board member for 9 to 5 – National Association of Working Women. She has always been a champion of equality and knows the importance of being a strong role model.
JoCasta graduated from St. Joan Antida High School and is the first in her family to graduate from college, receiving her BFA from UW-Milwaukee in 2005.
11th District
Born and raised in Milwaukee, I have seen how our city has developed as well as its untapped potential. Looking for ways to help continually improve our communities, six years ago I began working in inner-city Milwaukee schools to help close the achievement gap. I have dedicated my time to helping those in need achieve academic goals. Strengthening communities is one of my goals, and it will be advanced with strong teachers and educational accountability.
I earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy as well as a Master’s degree in Education from Maranatha Baptist University.
I decided to run for the District 11 Alderman position as I want to continue strengthening our community while ensuring that the needs of Milwaukee are properly represented in city government.
A longtime resident of the South Side, Alderman Mark A. Borkowski was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in a special election on August 18, 2015, and then re-elected to his first full term on April 5, 2016. The Alderman serves as Chair of the Public Works Committee, and the Vice Chair of the Public Safety Committee. He is also a member of the Steering & Rules Committee, Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Milwaukee Board of Harbor Commissioners, and Capital Improvement Committee.
Prior to his service to the city of Milwaukee, Alderman Borkowski served for 23 years on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, winning his first election in 1992. He graduated from Carroll College in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, and pursued his master’s degree in Management at Cardinal Stritch University. He was married and has two adult children.
Alderman Borkowski is actively involved in the community and has a variety of interests and is currently a member of St. Gregory the Great Church, the United Seniors of Wisconsin, the Polish Heritage Alliance Inc., the Southside Business Club, Milwaukee Society 2159, and the Knights of Columbus.
Alderman Borkowski previously held these positions: He was the National Director and the National Commissioner of the Polish National Alliance. He also served as President for the Milwaukee Society Polish National Alliance Group 2159. He served as President of the St. Joseph’s Foundation and was a Chairman at St. Francis Hospital Eleemosyarians. He was the past Executive Director of the Mitchell Street Advancement Corporation and the Special Events Director for the American Heart Association of Wisconsin. Finally, Alderman Borkowski was recognized in 2015 as the Polish American of the Year, by the Milwaukee Society Group 2159 of the Polish National Alliance.
Peter grew up in Wauwatosa, attended Marquette University High School and graduated from the University of Louisville (BA Political Science). Prior to joining the mortgage industry, he was executive director for the non-profit Latvian Center Garezers in Michigan and owned a restaurant in Louisville, KY. A mortgage professional since 2004, he returned to Milwaukee in 2011. He is active in the non-profit community and enjoys supporting good causes.Peter has serves as a board member of the Cream City Foundation, Wisconsin Mortgage Banker Association State Legislative Committee, Latvian House of Milwaukee, and as a Deacon at Latvian Lutheran Holy Trinity Church of Milwaukee.Peter is running to fix our roads, improve city services throughout the entire city, and expand development and help create more good paying jobs.Milwaukee does a lot of things well, but there are a lot of missed opportunities we must seize on to help the city reach its full potential. To take advantage of these and enhance our community, it takes a lot of hard work, energy, dedication, and effort. I’m ready to work hard and collaborate with my colleagues on the Common Council.Peter has two nieces and two nephews who live overseas and out of state; he resides in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Milwaukee with his beagle, Booker.
14th District
I was born and raised in the greater Milwaukee area, and am a long time resident of Bay View.
From 2001-06, I studied education and finance at the University of Northern Colorado where I volunteered with The New Voter Project by registering college students to vote. My years spent in Colorado were formative in shaping my political perspective, and have given me an idea how we can implement similar legislation here in Wisconsin.
During my 21 years in the workforce, I’ve worn many hats — my favorite being a library assistant at the Weld Children’s Library in Colorado, where I helped with program planning, general administrative work, and led storytime reading programs for young children. After moving back to Wisconsin, I went on to work in the private sector as an investment operations specialist at Northwestern Mutual. I have since left my full-time job to immerse myself in this candidacy, learning about the needs of my neighbors and local businesses.
I’ve spent the last 14 years of my adult life living in the 14th district and I believe there is something to be said about the uniqueness of our neighborhood. Whether it’s the abundance of local businesses or the wealth of historical landmarks, I want to support and preserve the quirky and intimate culture our district has worked so hard to build.
I am not a politician by trade, and I have no intention of using this seat to leverage my career. My departure from Northwestern Mutual, while nerve wracking, has allowed for the welcome return to the type of work I’ve always been passionate about – community-driven selfless service. When I’m not rock climbing, gardening, or reading, I am spreading awareness about the importance of Monarchs and other pollinators, or working with kids on their Lego Robotics at Bay View Montessori— I am passionate about encouraging girls and young women to get involved in male-dominated fields like STEM and engineering in general.
At the end of the day, the city touches us more in our daily lives than anything else. I am running out of frustration with the political culture that has been set by our long-term politicians. I want to bring fresh blood, a new vision, and political reform to our district. If I can look back and think, “I listened, I contributed, I helped make a difference” that would be enough for me.
Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic has the distinction of being the youngest woman elected County Supervisor when she took office in 2004 at the age of 22. She was subsequently re-elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2018.
On April 16, 2012, Supervisor Dimitrijevic was elected by her peers to serve as Chairwoman of the County Board of Supervisors. She is the youngest person in the history of Milwaukee County, and only the second woman, to hold that office.
Her last County Board meeting as Chairwoman was in July of 2015, as she decided to return to her supervisory role and continue her work in the community.
Since being elected to office, Supervisor Dimitrijevic has fought energetically on legislative issues that help the community she was born and raised in and now represents.
Her legislative agenda has been focused on supporting the needs of working families, adopting higher energy and environmental standards in Milwaukee County, and passing a socially and fiscally responsible budget each year. She has had legislative victories in the areas of equality, public transit, fair housing, food sustainability, and environmental protection.
Marina’s elected focus is her district where she has successfully secured county funding to make major improvements in the parks. Perhaps most well known for her dedication to enhancing South Shore Park, Supervisor Dimitrijevic has led the way on the reconstruction of the parking lot and opening of the public South Shore Terrace. In Pulaski Park, she worked to remodel the pavilion and construct new futsal courts for all to enjoy. She worked alongside neighbors to build a community garden in Bay View and partnered with the city to open up the city-county dog park.
Marina’s father and husband are both immigrants. She is a lifelong resident of Milwaukee’s south side and is fluent in Spanish. Marina proudly graduated from Bay View High School. She is an honors graduate of Marquette University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish. Marina also graduated Summa Cum Laude with her master’s in nonprofit management and leadership from UW-Milwaukee.
Marina is known for her commitment to community involvement. She is an active member in over 30 civic organizations in her district. Marina has held over 100 town hall meetings in her elected career and has visited each of the 19 communities in Milwaukee County by bus.
She was named Bay View Person of the Year and has consistently been named the, “Best Milwaukee County Supervisor” by the readers of the Shepherd Express newspaper.
Supervisor Dimitrijevic and her husband Eduardo live in the heart of Bay View with their 3 year old son Rafael and baby daughter Zoe.
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With an extensive experience base and 1 of kind intellectual property package, I filed papers to run for City of Milwaukee Mayor on roughly March 9, 2017. Then in 2019 entered the races for Alderperson 14th district Milwaukee & Milwaukee County Supervisor 4th District, on the frequent requests of voters. Each race is complementary giving me more than 1 chance to serve the public interest. With Milwaukee rich with opportunities & challenges a good idea. And while all of my work is invariant of if we are male or female, our ages, where we are from, our religions or absence of, what languages we speak or use, etc., I will focus resources & effort where it needed the most without negativity disrupting people, businesses, organizations, etc. those that don’t. In office I will work with existing businesses et al to expand & strengthen their bottom lines ( financial positions ) & life positions. I have a number of programs ready to go here that should help all lower their stress levels.
I have a number of advanced degrees from well known universities, work or plan to internationally. All of this helps make Milwaukee more of a destination, lets it sell into more markets or sell more into existing ones, gives people opportunities they may not have locally. The work I do in finance is so wide ranging & specialized that is unparalleled; ex: I design financial markets and am one of the few, anywhere, that actually could build out the hardware, software, regulatory apparatus, etc. Even the digital communications needed. All with any degree of fairness desired. I’ve recently done work on how to launch currencies, like the USD, Euro, etc, should an existing one completely fail. I literally can start an economy from nothing. And do so in an optimal or near optimal way. I further do work in languages that can increase our safety & privacy without compromising anyone’s national or corporate/ etc security. These efforts tie into a much wider set of in security and public safety / judicial systems i’ve readied for market / the public sector. All of our neighborhoods can and will become safer.
Everything I do or will in public office/ the private sector is done to medical standards – ie, ‘ first do no harm. ‘ Unlike others, anyone else, etc. I am a trustee when it matters the most. Being able to model systems ( populations – that is us: u & I ) to any degree of complexity, interaction ( feedback ), size ( 1 to billions ), etc is what qualifies me to be City of Milwaukee Mayor, Alderperson, and a County Supervisor – individually or AT THE SAME TIME. Why you should vote for me, give me all three, etc. is because I know that the “data points” are real lives, people, family/ etc businesses, that can’t fail or be hurt. That compassion & empathy I have for you and others gives us the chance to solve long-standing problems & address needs so far not solved or met. We will grow our economy and standard of living together, as a team. Also true is I can do much or all of this while lowering city taxes and fees while Increasing City Services to all constituencies with far less rules and enforcement actions. But none of this is done at the expense of City Employees, the Police, Firefighters, EMTs, Veterans, The City’s vendors and service providers – they count as well & can all too often be neglected or under appreciated .
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More about the 2020 Spring Primary
- Why Don Natzke Couldn’t Vote - Enjoyiana Nururdin - Aug 9th, 2020
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report highlights public health measures taken by the Milwaukee Health and Fire Departments, Department of Administration, Election Commission, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Aug 4th, 2020
- CDC Says Election Did Not Cause COVID-19 Spike - Erik Gunn - Aug 4th, 2020
- Pandemic Reduced Black Vote, Study Finds - Dee J. Hall - Jun 25th, 2020
- Did April Election Hike COVID-19 Cases? - Alana Watson - May 20th, 2020
- Elections Commission Notes ‘Lessons Learned’ - Henry Redman - May 19th, 2020
- Wisconsin Elections News: WEC Releases Analysis of Absentee Voting in April 7 Spring Election - Wisconsin Elections Commission - May 18th, 2020
- Election’s Impact on County’s COVID-19 Cases Unclear - Jeramey Jannene - May 6th, 2020
- Why State’s Voting By Mail Was Chaotic - Daniel C. Vock - May 4th, 2020
- At Least 40 COVID-19 Cases Tied to Election in Milwaukee - Graham Kilmer - Apr 24th, 2020
Read more about 2020 Spring Primary here
Political Contributions Tracker
Displaying political contributions between people mentioned in this story. Learn more.
- October 28, 2020 - Marina Dimitrijevic received $75 from Gwen Moore
- December 31, 2019 - JoCasta Zamarripa received $50 from Nikiya Dodd
- December 31, 2019 - Marina Dimitrijevic received $50 from Nikiya Dodd
- October 27, 2019 - JoCasta Zamarripa received $75 from Gwen Moore
- April 23, 2019 - JoCasta Zamarripa received $100 from Peter Burgelis
- March 9, 2016 - Khalif Rainey received $100 from Gwen Moore
- February 17, 2016 - Khalif Rainey received $300 from Mandela Barnes
- January 13, 2016 - Ashanti Hamilton received $20 from Nikiya Dodd
- August 24, 2015 - Khalif Rainey received $100 from Fred Royal
