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Milwaukee Mayoral Challengers Hit Barrett On Combative Past With GOP

Mayor Insists He's Tried To Protect City From Republican Priorities

By
Milwaukee City Hall. Casey Eisenreich (CC-BY-SA).

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s battles with Wisconsin Republicans have become a campaign issue in the run-up to Tuesday’s mayoral primary election contest.

Barrett faces three challengers who are calling for a new approach, including with the ruling party at the state Capitol.

Barrett took an upbeat tone with his state of the city speech this week, echoing the state motto, “forward,” during his address. But Barrett has spent a good chunk of the last six year — half his time as mayor — suggesting the Gov. Scott Walker administration and GOP lawmakers are trying to take Milwaukee backward.

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During a mayoral forum at a Milwaukee church this week, there was a lot of passionate speech about who was the most qualified to work with Republicans. Barrett said he’s proven himself in the face of opposition.

“I’ve done it with headwinds coming from the national economy. We fought back and I led the fight against a very hostile state government,” he said. “I led the attacks here against all of those restrictions on voting.”

Those restrictions include the requirement for a photo ID at the polls, and limits on early voting.


Candidates, from left to right, Tom Barrett, Joe Davis and Bob Donovan, at a mayoral forum. Chuck Quirmbach/WPR


Candidate James Mathu at the same event. Chuck Quirmbach/WPR

But mayoral candidate and 13-year Milwaukee Alderman Joe Davis said Barrett has not only fought the GOP as mayor, but has has stirred up further trouble by taking on Scott Walker at the polls.

“I do acknowledge that he did run for governor three times. Twice he lost and put the city of Milwaukee in a very bad position as far as relationships with the state of Wisconsin,” Davis said.

Davis’ campaign platform includes a faith-based initiative to address what he calls “hopelessness.” He also promises to engage with public, choice and charter schools, and take on the city’s problems with crime and poverty.

The city’s firefighters union has endorsed Davis, but Milwaukee’s police union is backing another candidate: 16-year Alderman Bob Donovan, who takes issue with Barrett’s long fight to preserve a residency requirement for city police and firefighters.

“‘I’ve never had a problem with requiring city employees to live in the city of Milwaukee,” said Donovan. “I, however, have not had a conniption fit when the state decided to allow them to move out.”

Said Barrett, in response to his opponents’ criticisms: “You’re right, I’m going to fight … I’m not going to play footsy with them.”

Donovan has hosted Republican state lawmakers at events in Milwaukee. The alderman has vowed to boost the size of the police force, and joins Davis in opposing Barrett’s plans to build a streetcar in downtown Milwaukee.

The fourth candidate for Milwaukee mayor, 30-year-old political newcomer James Mathu, said his older opponents have not gotten things done.

“I was a teenager when many of them took office, or younger,” he said. “And look what’s happened since: a decline in businesses for minorities, black male joblessness, Latino male joblessness.”

Mathu said he wants Milwaukee to solve its own problems, no matter whether Scott Walker or any other Republican is governor.

Mathu has raised the least amount of money in the mayoral contest. Davis and Donovan have brought in more, but all three trail Barrett by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The two top vote getters in Tuesday’s primary square off in the general election in April.