Milwaukee city attorney race between Tearman Spencer, Evan Goyke taking shape on filing deadline

Embattled Milwaukee City Attorney Tearman Spencer and challenger state Rep. Evan Goyke have been recommended for placement on the spring ballot, setting up a race for the top legal job in city government.

The competition for the next four-year term at the helm of the City Attorney's Office is likely to be one of the closest-watched and most competitive of the 19 city seats that will be on the ballot.

The spring election is set for April 2 with any primaries taking place Feb. 20.

Nomination papers were due at 5 p.m. Tuesday for those wishing to run for seats across the city, which also include mayor, comptroller, city treasurer and all 15 of the Common Council seats.

Barring any challenges that are upheld, candidates who are recommended for ballot placement will appear on the ballot.

The city Election Commission has been updating an online spreadsheet that shows whether each candidate's nomination papers have been deemed sufficient and whether the candidate has been recommended for placement on the ballot.

Three candidates looking to run for Milwaukee mayor

Four people filed papers to run for mayor, though only three had filed nomination papers and just two had been recommended for ballot placement as of mid-day Wednesday. Wisconsin God Squad founder David King was the first to be recommended.

Second was Ieshuh Griffin, who joined the race Tuesday and was recommended for ballot placement Wednesday.

Incumbent Mayor Cavalier Johnson submitted his nomination papers, which were deemed sufficient by the Election Commission. As of mid-day Wednesday, he had yet to file the required statement of economic interests, which is due by 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Griffin, whose committee name is "The Poor People's Piece of the Pie Campaign," ran against Johnson and five others in a seven-way race for mayor in 2022. The competition for the open seat came after former Mayor Tom Barrett resigned late the previous year to take the appointment as ambassador to Luxembourg.

Johnson won the election in April 2022 to finish the remaining two years of Barrett's four-year term.

(Griffin also filed to run for aldermanic districts 3 and 15 in addition to Milwaukee County executive.)

Multiple Common Council primaries taking shape

Multiple Common Council primaries were taking shape Wednesday in districts with and without incumbents.

In District 5, Ald. Lamont Westmoreland is facing two challengers after having just been elected in April. He, along with real estate agent Stacy A. Smiter and Bruce Winter, who also sought the seat in the last election, have been recommended for ballot placement.

Primaries were also shaping up in aldermanic districts 7 and 11, where incumbents have decided not to seek re-election.

In District 7, where Ald. Khalif Rainey is not running, community organizer Jessica Currie, pastor and businessman Kenneth Hughes and longtime Master Lock employee DiAndre Jackson had been recommended for ballot placement.

Another candidate, nonprofit founder Randy Jones, had submitted nomination papers, which had been deemed sufficient. He was not listed as having submitted his statement of economic interests as of mid-day Wednesday.

And in District 11, where Ald. Mark Borkowski is not running for another term, a three-way race is expected between Milwaukee County Supervisor Peter Burgelis, Milwaukee Safety and Civic Commission member Lee Whiting and former state Rep. Josh Zepnick. All three were recommended for ballot placement.

In the third race for a vacant council seat in District 10, it was not immediately clear how many people would make it on the ballot to succeed longtime Ald. Michael Murphy.

Mid-day Wednesday, co-founder of youth leadership program Urban Underground, Sharlen Moore, was the sole person who had been recommended for ballot placement.

Richard L. Geldon's nomination papers were deemed sufficient, and he had filed his statement of economic interests, but had not yet been recommended for ballot placement, according to the Election Commission spreadsheet.

Council members looking to hold onto their seats were also facing challengers:

• In District 3, Ald. Jonathan Brostoff was recommended for ballot placement along with Griffin.
• In District 4, Ald. Robert Bauman was recommended for ballot placement along with Rayhainio "Ray Nitti" Boynes, who operates The Creative Corridor Inc.
• In District 6, Ald. Milele Coggs was facing a challenge from Brandon R. Payton, who was recommended for ballot placement. Coggs was listed as not having yet filed a statement of economic interests.
• In District 8, Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa and challenger Ryan Antczak had both been recommended for ballot placement.
• In District 15, Ald. Russell Stamper II also was recommended for ballot placement, along with Griffin.

Council members who got on the ballot and are not facing challengers are Andrea Pratt of District 1, Mark Chambers Jr. of District 2, Larresa Taylor of District 9, José G. Pérez of District 12, Scott Spiker of District 13 and Marina Dimitrijevic of District 14.

Two vie for Milwaukee comptroller

Milwaukee Deputy Comptroller Bill Christianson and former Milwaukee firefighters union president and retired University of Wisconsin System Regent Gregory Gracz were recommended for ballot placement in the race to be the city's next chief financial officer.

Whoever wins will replace Comptroller Aycha Sawa, who decided not to seek a second term.

Incumbent is sole candidate for Milwaukee city treasurer

Incumbent City Treasurer Spencer Coggs had filed sufficient nomination papers but was not listed as having filed the needed statement of economic interests.

He is the sole candidate in the race.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.