Alderman Zielinski to launch 2020 mayoral run
Milwaukee Ald. Tony Zielinski is wasting no time launching his 2020 mayoral run.
Zielinski, whose district covers much of Bay View, is set to announce his bid Wednesday during a 2 p.m. news conference at the Milwaukee Police Association headquarters.
The election is more than two years away. But Zielinski, 56, has already personally put $100,000 in his campaign account to show how serious he is about winning the seat held by Mayor Tom Barrett.
The Milwaukee Police Association headquarters has long opposed Barrett.
Patrick Guarasci, a Barrett political adviser, suggested now is not the time to be talking about the next mayor’s contest. Barrett easily won re-election to his fourth term in April 2016.
“Tom (is) the only mayor in Milwaukee history to win three consecutive elections with over 70% of the vote,” Guarasci said.
Barrett, he added, “remains focused on creating more good paying jobs in the city for everyone, capitalizing on the boom in the heart of the city downtown so that every neighborhood flourishes, and protecting our families by creating a safer city.”
Zielinski is part of a coalition of south side aldermen who have repeatedly clashed with Barrett over cuts to the number of police officers and firefighters and policies enacted by Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn on police pursuits and other issues.
Patrick Curley, chief of staff to the mayor, has criticized Zielinski and his political ally, Ald. Mark Borkowski, as the “backdrop boys” for voting for the county’s toxic pension plan as members of the Milwaukee County Board in 2001.
Barrett beat a third member of the south side coalition, Ald. Bob Donovan, by better than a 2-to-1 ratio last year. He also beat back a poorly organized recall bid earlier this year.
Records show Barrett was sitting on more than $600,000 in his campaign account at the end of July, compared to Zielinski, who had slightly more than $50,000 in his fund.
In addition, Barrett hosted a fundraiser earlier this month that attracted about 200 supporters, Guarasci said.
Zielinski was first elected a Milwaukee County supervisor in 1988.
Two years later, he got national media attention — and widespread criticism — over his proposal that Milwaukee County sell organs of dead welfare recipients.
Zielinski has been on the Milwaukee Common Council since 2004. He chairs the city’s Licenses Committee and is also a member of the Community and Economic Development Committee and the Steering and Rules Committee.
Zielinski lives in Bay View with his wife, Annette.