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Meet The 2020 Milwaukee Mayoral Candidates

Courtesy of Tom Barrett and Lena Taylor
(From left) Tom Barrett and Lena Taylor will be on the ballot for Milwaukee mayor on April 7.

Milwaukeeans will soon decide who will represent the city for the next four years. Incumbent Mayor Tom Barrett is being challenged by state Sen. Lena Taylor. 

>>Wisconsin Spring Election Blog
>>Milwaukee Mayoral Race: Tom Barrett And Lena Taylor Face Off In General Election

Before you head to the polls, here's a look at the candidates — in alphabetical order — in the 2020 Milwaukee mayoral race.

Tom Barrett

Tom Barrett has been the mayor of Milwaukee since 2004. He also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1992 until 2002. 

Credit Courtesy of Tom Barrett
Tom Barrett was first elected mayor of Milwaukee in 2004. During his time, he has helped create the M7, a regional, bipartisan economic development group comprised of the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin, and bring street cars back to downtown Milwaukee.

During his recent mayoral campaign, he's talked about his "four pillars" to move Milwaukee forward: economic development, early education, health, and public safety. Those would be the foundation of what he'd do with four more years as mayor. 

READ: Barrett Wants You To Stick With Him Through Coronavirus Crisis

He graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in economics and went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. 

You can learn more about Barrett here

Lena Taylor

Lena Taylor has served in the Wisconsin State Senate since 2004. Before elected office, she ran her own general practice law firm, Taylor and Associates Law Office, on the north side of Milwaukee. 

Credit Courtesy of Lena Taylor
Lena Taylor was first elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2004. During her time in the senate, Taylor has served as the first African American Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first African American woman to co-chair the Joint Committee on Finance.

“We have to have [a mayor] who will not be afraid to speak to the hard issues that have to be addressed in the city: segregation, racism, inequality, lack of access, horrible outcomes in 53206, and so many other neighborhoods that exist in this community,” says Taylor. “And we have to have someone who's willing to be innovative and think out of the box.”

READ: Taylor Says Inequality Is The Main Thing We Need To Change

She graduated from UW-Milwaukee with an English degree and went on to graduate from law school at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. 

You can learn more about Taylor here.

What do you want to know about the 2020 elections and the DNC convention? Submit your questions below.

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From 2020 to 2021, Jack was WUWM's digital intern and then digital producer.
Maayan is a WUWM news reporter.
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