Milwaukee Democrats Hold Gala

2026 Democratic Party of Milwaukee County Annual Gala. Photo taken March 22, 2026 by Michael Horne.

Gathering together in a jubilant spirit that may foreshadow election night celebrations, 400 members of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County assembled at the Italian Community Center at 4 p.m. Sunday for its annual gala event, hosted by party chair Brett Timmerman.

Timmerman was chosen as last year’s Democrat of the Year, the group’s highest honor. As chair this year, he plans to:

• Move the party’s office from Bay View to “the heart of the Latino neighborhood.”
• Open a second location on the North Side.
• Hire a full-time staff member to take the pressure off volunteers.

The first two items are a concerted effort to increase voter participation in these majority-minority neighborhoods. The Latino Organizing Project data indicates that if turnout there could keep pace with voting elsewhere, Milwaukee’s votes could easily lead to victory for statewide candidates. The votes are there; they just aren’t cast, is the reasoning. This leads to Timmerman’s other imperative:

• Relationship Building

This was all to be revealed during the banquet later in the evening. The theme was “Honoring Milwaukee’s Star Democrats.” A trio of engraved acrylic stars awaited the recipients in three categories: Rising Star, Organizer of the Year and Democrat of the Year. The presentation, to be held at a dinner in the Pompeii Ballroom, would be at 6:30 p.m. But first, it was time for some relationship building.

Getting the Party Started

For some, the meet and greet at 4 p.m. is the star event. There, in the lobby adjoining the ballroom, display tables for gubernatorial candidates were lined up along the bays of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the courtyard. The yard signs for each candidate were taped to the window of each unit — five across and five down. They fit perfectly, but then the Italians always were good at proportions. The stage being set, the crowd filled in and the mingling commenced, while candidates or their proxies greeted the guests and supporters. This was a dressy affair — even the union guys were wearing ties.

David Crowley and Mandela Barnes were at their adjoining stations. The Crowley booth offered little miniature mints that resembled baseballs. Except for the butter on the banquet tables’ bread plates, it was the only food in sight. But there were two bars set up, and they brought a good business to the Bartolotta catering staff. Joel Brennan joined the scene, as did Kelda Roys, so that gets you four potential governors right there.

Early arrivals included angel investor Teresa Esser and her husband Pehr Anderson. They were followed by AFL-CIO head Stephanie Bloomingdale and her husband, Doug Savage, late of the now-defunct UWM Institute of World Affairs. Judge Jean Kies arrived with her attorney husband, Lew Wasserman. Former Rep. Gary Goyke, his wife Nancy Rottier and son, City Attorney Evan Goyke, cradling his young boy in his arms, made for a family reunion of sorts.

Bridget Maniaci added a bit of drama to the proceedings, as she is a declared primary challenger to Rep. Ryan Clancy and was dressed in the primary color of yellow. If Clancy was there, I did not see him. I told Maniaci that I have seen a lot of Clancy yard signs but none of hers. That will soon change, she said, when posters arrive this week. There was a bit of a delay, as she wanted to make sure to use a union printer, Maniaci said. Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, running for secretary of state, had a stack of campaign business cards to hand out. Rep. Christine Sinicki was also present.

Wisconsin Elections Commission board member Mark Thomsen and his wife, Grace Thomsen, were the rare married couple at the event to share a surname. I asked if he could be the witness for my absentee ballot. I figured if there were problems to develop, I would have a nice, fancy witness to fall back on. Thomsen, who is otherwise obliging and cordial, said “No.” Should my ballot somehow be brought into question, he would be in conflict as a witness. Attorney Michael Maistelman said he’d be happy to sign, but I had left the ballot at home, rendering the whole venture moot. My bad.

Appeals Court judges Pedro Colón and Joe Donald attended, awaiting the evening’s guest speaker, fellow Appeals Judge Chris Taylor, who hopes to ascend to the Supreme Court following the results of the April 7th election.

Racine Transit Director Trevor Jung, a candidate for state Senate, was there, buoyed by the news that the incumbent, Republican Senate Majority Leader Van Wanggaard, had announced his retirement, thus turning the 21st District in the swing county of Racine into an open seat. Harbor Commissioner and defense attorney Craig Mastantuono paid close attention to a video screen from the Milwaukee County Latino Organizing Project. Shua Sanchez displayed data demonstrating that while Milwaukee had the highest turnout among the nation’s cities, and the vote was overwhelmingly Democratic, the 2024 Latino voter turnout in Milwaukee was the lowest in the state. He figured if the city’s Latino and Black turnout matched the state average, it would bring an additional 30,000 votes to the party.

That would have been enough to have flipped the 2016 presidential race, the 2019 Supreme Court race, the 2022 Senate race and the 2024 presidential race. We can see why Timmerman, the party chair, faces high stakes and has a big job ahead of him.

Mayor, Moore, Taylor Address Audience

Forty tables for 10 were in the ballroom when the guests were summoned around 6 p.m. The tables were set with candles, both faux and naturel, with fresh flowers punctuating the arrangement. Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who is not up for reelection until 2028, was nevertheless in full campaign mode. He said that “for the first time since Jim Doyle was governor [January 2011], we can have unified control” of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government. “We are better positioned than we have been — so well positioned.”

He also promised that the offices held by Democrats will remain so in November. He said party members should “Make life better, because that’s what we do.”

Timmerman next presented the evening’s awards. The Rising Star Award went to Rep. Priscilla Prado; the Democrat of the Year was Nicholas Truog, and the Organizer of the Year was LuAnn Bird. In accepting the award commemorating her vigorous grassroots work, Bird delivered a simple, effective message in her energetic style. Holding a blue basketball, she uttered her mantra: “We’re right. They’re wrong. And we have a bigger team.”

Rep. Gwen Moore, dressed in red, was given the role of introducing the evening’s featured speaker, Judge Chris Taylor. “Judgment Day is coming soon!” she cried. “April 7 is coming soon. The first step in Judgment Day is to elect Judge Chris Taylor to the Supreme Court!” Moore listed a litany of problems in Washington and how they will affect us locally:

• The war in Iran is alienating our allies.
• Our health care system is at risk.
• Immigration policies are a mess.
• The Trump administration is violating human rights.

“But we’ve been here before…” she added, alluding to the civil rights/Vietnam War/Nixon era that transformed American society.

Judge Taylor gave a rousing speech. The role of the Supreme Court is “to protect our state from the overreach of the federal government,” she said, likening the Trump administration to the bullies she would stand up to even as a child. Taylor’s origin story included being brought up partly by her grandmother, who was “a single mother with three kids who struggled until she got a union job.” Applause.

The evening ended with a paddle-raising event, a nice little gimmick to raise some ready cash for party operations. (Candidates did not solicit funds for their campaigns at this event.) Timmerman called for donations from the audience. Who will offer $5,000? Paddles were raised. He next suggested a $2,500 contribution. Up went the paddle of Dr. Elizabeth Gore, seated at table 30 with her husband, Dr. Stu Wong. They live next to Timmerman on the river at Kane Commons. Beth had in her hand a $2,500 check from her other next-door neighbor, Julilly Kohler, who was unable to attend the event. “That will be good for a couple of months’ rent,” Timmerman said. He made a call for all current and former officeholders to stand up. About one in 10 audience members responded to the summons.

Perhaps the loudest cheers of the evening were for Timmerman. He excels at party organizing, both political and social. He has hosted dozens of events at his home at Kane Commons and has vast inventories of cocktail tables, tents — you name it. His children’s parties include ponies! Perhaps the most notable of his gatherings was a garden party there held in honor of Sen. Tammy Baldwin on July 21, 2024.

Just when things were rolling at that event, the senator went into the house to take an important call from Washington. When she emerged shortly thereafter, guests were given news that would soon circle the globe: Joe Biden was withdrawing from the race, and we had a new candidate for president. Timmerman got right to work.

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