Milwaukee sees shifts in common council and county board after election

A voting ward sign in Milwaukee County. (Photo | Isiah Holmes)

New faces and personalities claimed seats on the Milwaukee County Board and city Common Council Tuesday. The results come from a spring election which saw moderate levels of turnout in Milwaukee County, with 165,000 (or 34% of registered voters) participating.

Three candidates won open seats on the common council. In Milwaukee’s 7th Aldermanic District on the city’s North Side, sitting Ald. Khalif Rainey was replaced by DiAndre Jackson , a former Master Lock employee who introduced President Barack Obama when he visited the Master Lock facility in 2012. Jackson won 61.3% of the vote whereas his opponent, Jessica Currie , a real estate agent and owner of a non-profit providing emergency shelter for women and children, garnered 37.6%. Rainey announced in December that he would not seek re-election. Jackson’s campaign was backed by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.

Another district also elected a new alderman. Urban Milwaukee reported that it was the first time that Milwaukee’s 10th Aldermanic district had elected a new voice since 1989. Sharlen Moore, a local violence prevention activist and executive director of the non-profit youth organization Urban Underground, won a race for Ald. Michael Murphy’s seat. Murphy is retiring from public office , leading to a race where Moore defeated opponent Richard Geldon with 72% of the vote. Moore is the brother of former State Rep. David Bowen, and is married to the former Office of Violence Prevention director Reggie Moore.

Voters also chose Peter Burgelis , a private wealth mortgage loan originator for U.S. Bank who also served a term on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. Burgelis defeated former state legislator Joshua Zepnick for the city’s 11th district, situated on the southwest corner of the city. The race was for the common council seat of Mark Borkowski, who is retiring. Burgelis, whose website said he’d prioritize public safety, revenue accountability, and supporting city services, won with 57.1% of the vote.

On the county board, Jack Eckblad – a senior account supervisor for an artificial intelligence “Internet of Things” company – defeated local activist Ron Jensen for the seat of outgoing Sup. Ryan Clancy. Eckblad won 54% of the vote in the district, whereas Jansen garnered 44.8%. Urban Milwaukee reported that Eckblad’s campaign was supported by several current and former county supervisors, including sitting Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. Eckblad was also endorsed by Rep. Evan Goyke, who won the Milwaukee city attorney race, and Rep. Christine Sinicki. Jansen was endorsed by Clancy, as well as Voces de la Frontera and the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association. Both Eckblad and Jansen also received endorsements from progressive organizations in the city.

Correction- An earlier version of this article stated that Peter Burgelis defeated Mark Borkowski in a common council race. Burgelis defeated former state legislator Joshua Zepnick for Borkowski’s seat, who is retiring from elected service. The error has been corrected.

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