State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) on Monday launched a campaign for mayor of Milwaukee, joining a crowded field of more than a half dozen individuals.
Taylor made the announcement following her decision to suspend her campaign for Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor.
“I had to follow my heart, plain and simple. I love the city and have worked my entire life to make it better. I see the promise and the pain of Milwaukee. I see a pathway to the city we can become, and I am unafraid to think boldly, and work with others to get us there,” Taylor said in a statement.
Sen. Lena Taylor Announces She’s “In” for Mayoral Bidhttps://t.co/xn3pN9Msbi pic.twitter.com/GTHZXEa31b
— Lena Taylor for Mayor (@GoLenaTaylor) December 27, 2021
“I have watched us be afraid of change and of one another. We need leadership that sees all of us, works hard for all of us, and comes to the table with the prerequisite skills to get the job done. Yes, I’m in.”
Taylor, in her announcement to drop out of the statewide race, pointed to her desire to make a “direct impact on the concerns of constituents.”
The state lawmaker, who represents a portion of the city in the state legislature, joins eight other declared candidates in the race to replace former Mayor Tom Barrett, who resigned earlier this month after accepting a position in the Biden administration.
Following his resignation, Common Council President Cavalier Johnson, who is running in the special election to complete the full term, became acting mayor of the city.
The special election’s timeline will hold a primary election for February 15, 2022. Additionally, Milwaukee’s mayoral races are technically nonpartisan. Therefore, the top two candidates will advance to a general election on April 5, 2022 to determine the next mayor.
The winner of the general election will fill the seat until 2024, when Barrett’s original term was set to expire.
– – –
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Lena Taylor” by Lena Taylor. Background Photo “Wisconsin State Capitol” by QuartierLatin1968. CC BY-SA 3.0.
