Milwaukee Mayor Barrett vetoes aldermanic district map following calls from Hispanic community leaders

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vetoed the Common Council’s approved aldermanic redistricting map Monday afternoon after heavy lobbying from the city's Latino and Hispanic communities to include a third majority district.

"Based on the 2020 census totals and other population data, the maps adopted by the Common Council do not adequately reflect the growth of Hispanic residents," Barrett said in his veto letter. 

He cited the finding in the once-a-decade population tally that about one in five Milwaukee residents is now Hispanic or Latino, saying that population shift should be reflected in the 15 Common Council district boundaries.

The veto came shortly after Hispanic community leaders rallied inside Milwaukee's City Hall on Monday, calling on Barrett to veto the aldermanic district boundaries approved by the Milwaukee Common Council late last month.

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Fearing Latino and Hispanic voter dilution under the approved map, Forward Latino, the Hispanic Collaborative and Voces de la Frontera rallied inside the rotunda alongside state Sen. Lena Taylor, State Rep. and District 12 County Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez and District 8 Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa.

"We understand that there were delays at the federal, state and county levels, but this shouldn't be something that the Latino population bears the burden on," said Nancy Hernandez, president of the Hispanic Collaborative. "District boundaries, as all politicians know, can affect the quality of representation, the policies that government enacts, and most importantly, which candidate is likely to win a district."

The city and the county of Milwaukee were in a race against time to approve the new, redrawn district map in order to meet the Nov. 23 deadline to post election notices. But such an expedited process posed some major concerns about the current map, including concerns about poor Hispanic and Latino representation in the redrawn districts, as well as minimal community input during the map-making process.

"Those are decisions that should be made by the people — they need to weigh in on what it is they want and their representation," Hernandez said.  

The group, which has submitted a letter to the mayor, has urged Barrett and the Common Council to pass a map that would provide what it considers fair Latino and Hispanic voter representation.

As it stands, Latino and Hispanic communities make up 20.1% of Milwaukee’s population, according to new census data issued in Aug. 2021. The city has also reported a 13,200 increase in the Hispanic voting age population, per the data. Under the approved map, there were two Latino-Hispanic majority districts out of the city’s 15 aldermanic districts.

During the voting of the current aldermanic district map, Zamarripa had voted against the new aldermanic district lines. She wished to see more Latino influence in the south’s District 13, currently represented by Ald. Scott Spiker.

Amid the anti-immigration rhetoric during the former presidential administration, concerns of a possible census citizenship question, Latino and Hispanic advocates were concerned that many immigrants, both citizens and undocumented residents, would be frightened into not responding to the census.

Grassroots Latino organizations worked during the census and during the pandemic to reassure the Latino and immigrant communities that they should not be intimidated by their citizenship status and had a right to representation.

"We know the Latino community has grown," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera. "With that comes political representation — should come political representation."

"The question of voting rights will be decided on this map. It is a test — it's a litmus test for how much do we really believe in voting rights as a community," she added. 

Neumann-Ortiz and the other organizations wish to work with the Common Council to  create a collaborative redrawing process. 

Barrett on Monday recognized the limited time available to redraw the district boundaries was not in the city's control but also said there was enough time to make changes that would "ensure adequate potential representation." 

"It is only fair that growing populations be afforded political representation proportionate to their size and shared stake in the community," he wrote. 

Barrett asked the council to sustain his veto and consider revising the adopted district boundaries. 

The council can take up his veto at the latest at its Dec. 14 meeting.

Alison Dirr of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Vanessa_Swales.