The Milwaukee Socialists

We look at the tenure of Milwaukee’s last Socialist mayor, Frank Zeidler, and his aggressive campaign to expand the size of the city. We also explore what socialism looks like in Milwaukee today.

Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan became the longest-serving socialist mayor in U.S. history, and redefined life in the city by creating parks, publicly-funded housing and the first modern sewage treatment facility. But it was a tumultuous time for the socialists, who faced local and global pressure over their ideology.

In 1910 the Milwaukee Socialists won a trifecta in government. They were in power of the mayor's office, the Common Council and the County Board. But they had to work quickly if they were going to achieve a fraction of their goals.

The legacy of the Milwaukee Socialists looms large in the city. But the rise of the Social Democratic Party was anything but inevitable. It was a struggle against monied interests, powerful political parties, and a fight for the rights of those whose labor had made others rich.

This month's Milwaukee Magazine features State Rep. Ryan Clancy. He joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to discuss the growing Socialist Caucus in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Over the last decade socialism has become increasingly popular with voters. Recently Wisconsinites voted to advance two Democratic socialists to the general election. In Milwaukee, this marks a return to a kind of politics that shaped the city's most prosperous era.

Editor's note: This piece was originally published June 24, 2016. It includes portions of an interview with Anita Zeidler, who has since passed away.This…