Voters elect new Milwaukee council members to vacant seats, back incumbents in challenges

The 15-member Milwaukee Common Council will include three new faces when the next four-year term begins April 16.

Voters on Tuesday selected their next representatives for three seats where no incumbent ran for re-election.

They also strongly backed the five council members who had faced challenges.

Seven incumbents ― District 1 Ald. Andrea Pratt, District 2 Ald. Mark Chambers Jr., District 9 Ald. Larresa Taylor, District 12 Ald. José G. Pérez, District 13 Ald. Scott Spiker, District 14 Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic and District 15 Ald. Russell Stamper II ― ran unopposed.

Here's what happened in the contested races:

Common Council District 3 re-elects east side Ald. Jonathan Brostoff

First-term Ald. Jonathan Brostoff easily beat Ieshuh Griffin, who ran under the slogan, "The Poor People's Piece of the Pie Campaign."

This cycle, Griffin also ran for mayor, though she didn't move forward from the Feb. 20 primary, and against incumbent Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

Brostoff first won the seat in a special election in November 2022.

Brostoff won 83% of the vote to Griffin's 17%.

Milwaukee District 4 Ald. Robert Bauman wins another term in downtown council race

Longtime downtown Ald. Robert Bauman easily overcame a challenge from artist and entrepreneur Rayhainio "Ray Nitti" Boynes.

Bauman won 67% of the vote to Boynes' 33%.

District 5 Ald. Lamont Westmoreland easily wins second term to represent northwest side district

Ald. Lamont Westmoreland won a second term, easily beating Bruce Winter, who also sought the seat in the last election.

Westmoreland won the seat on the city's northwest side in a special election a year ago and on Tuesday finished with 79% of the vote.

District 6 Ald. Milele Coggs cruises to victory in district just north of downtown

Ald. Milele Coggs easily fended off a challenge from Brandon R. Payton, who describes himself as a working-class Milwaukeean.

Coggs received 75% of the vote.

Central city District 7 selects DiAndre Jackson for open seat

Longtime Master Lock employee DiAndre Jackson received 61% of the vote to community organizer Jessica Currie's 38%.

He will replace Ald. Khalif Rainey, who was elected to the central city seat in 2016 after serving on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. He did not seek re-election.

After contentious race, Milwaukee District 8 re-elects Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa

A race in with Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa filed two complaints against her opponent came to a close Tuesday with Zamarripa's re-election.

She received 64% of the vote to Ryan Antczak's 36%.

Zamarripa last month filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission accusing Antczak of soliciting contributions above the campaign finance limit for the race and late last week filed another complaint, this one with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, over false and nebulous charges in a mailer from his campaign that was distributed just days before the election.

Sharlen Moore elected to replace longtime west side District 10 alderman

Sharlen Moore, co-founder of youth leadership program Urban Underground, was elected to succeed west side District 10 Ald. Michael Murphy. Murphy announced last fall that he would not seek another term, ending a tenure on the council that began with his first election in 1989.

Moore received 72% of the vote while Richard L. Geldon, who has repeatedly sought the seat, received 27%.

County Supervisor Peter Burgelis wins Milwaukee south side District 11 seat, beating former state Rep. Josh Zepnick

Milwaukee County Supervisor Peter Burgelis won the District 11 seat on Milwaukee's south side, receiving 57% of the vote to former state Rep. Josh Zepnick's 42%.

Burgelis will succeed Ald. Mark Borkowski, who did not seek re-election. He was elected to the Common Council in a 2015 special election after having served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.

Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukeeans backed council members facing challenges Tuesday