... THIS IS A TEST.
THIS IS A TEST. A TEST.
THIS IS A TEST.
>>> WELCOME TO NOON WEDNESDAY!
I'M MARISA WOJCIK.
PBS WISCONSIN.
TODAY IS FEBRUARY 16.
MILWAUKEE WILL SOON SEE A NEW
MAYOR!
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO
DECADES.
OF THE SEVEN CANDIDATES THAT RAN
IN YESTERDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION,
ACTING MAYOR CAVALIER CHEVY
JOHNSON AND ALDERMAN BOB DONOVAN
WILL ADVANCE IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION IN APRIL.
JOINING ME TO BREAK DOWN THE
CANDIDATE, THE ISSUE, AND
TUESDAY'S PRIMARY RESULTS, JOHN
JOHNSON, RESEARCH FELLOW AT
MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL AND
WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO REPORTER
CHRISTINE HATFIELD.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> CHRISTINE, I WANT TO START
WITH YOU.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF
THE BIGGEST ISH ISSUES THAT WERE
IN FRONT OF THE CANDIDATES?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS A WHOLE GAUNTLET OF
THEM TO RUN.
THAT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY OF
A CITY THE SIZE OF MILWAUKEE.
I MEAN, THERE IS RECKLESS
DRIVING AND THE CAUSES.
THERE IS THE INCREASED RATES OF
CAR THEFTS IN THE AREA, MORE
THAN 10,000 OF THEM LAST YEAR.
THE MATTER OF CRIME AND PUBLIC
SAFETY IN GENERAL.
THE CITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
POLICE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES
TO KEEPING POLICE AROUND.
IN ANOTHER STYLE, YOU HAVE THE
FUTURE OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS AND ITS FUNDING.
THEN THERE IS THE CITY'S PENSION
CHALLENGES.
WHAT THAT CAN MEAN FOR BUDGETING
FOR SERVICES AS WE GO DOWN THE
LINE.
AND THEN FOR THAT MATTER, WE
JUST BRING REVENUE INTO THE
CITY.
PART OF THAT CONVERSATION IS
KIND OF RELIANT UPON THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH STATE
GOVERNMENT IN MADISON, THE
LEGISLATURE ESPECIALLY.
THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF
HOUSING AFFORD AFFORDABILITY.
THE RACIAL GAP.
THE TOPICS.
MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A
ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD.
I GUESS THE QUESTION AT THE VERY
ROOT OF ALL OF THIS, SORT OF
EXISTENTIAL QUESTION,
ESPECIALLY, AFTER ALL OF THE
YEARS WITH THE SAME GOVERNOR,
NOT THE SAME GOVERNOR, THE SAME
AYOR, WHAT MAKES MILWAUKEE WHAT
IT IS?
DOES THE MAYOR HELP MAKE A CITY
THAT IS SAFE, HEALTHY AND
SUCCESSFUL?
THAT IS REALLY WHAT IS AT PLAY
HERE IN A NUTSHELL.
>> SO LOTS OF VARYING INTERESTS
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, FROM
JOHN THAT PLAYS OUT IN YOUR
DATA.
SO JOHN, AFTER LAST NIGHT'S
RESULTS SEEING JOHNSON AND
DONOVAN COMING OUT ON TOP,
OUTPERFORMING EVEN STATE SENATOR
TAYLOR AND OTHERS, WHAT STOOD
OUT TO YOU ABOUT THESE TWO
CANDIDATES THAT CAME OUT ON TOP?
>> THE MOST STRIKING THING TO ME
WAS, HOW BROAD CAVALIER
JOHNSON'S SUPPORT WAS.
HE WON 12 OUT OF THE CITY'S 15
DISTRICTS.
HE HAD STRONG SUPPORT ACROSS HIS
OWN ALDERMANIC DISTRICT, AND
NEIGHBORS ON THE NORTH SIDE BUT
ALSO DID VERY WELL ON THE EAST
SIDE OF MILWAUKEE AND IN BAYVIEW
AREAS THAT WERE SUPPORT FOR
FORMER MAYOR TOM BARRETT.
I WAS ALSO STRUCK BY DONOVAN'S
PERFORMANCE BUT NOT HOW STRONG
IT WAS.
HE ACTUALLY DID QUITE A BIT
WORSE THAN HE DID IN 2016.
AND 2016'S PRIMARY, HE GOT A
THIRD OF THE VOTE.
AND THIS TIME, HE GOT JUST A
LITTLE BIT OVER A FIFTH.
SO THE ONLY REASON THAT DONOVAN
ADVANCED IS BECAUSE THE
REMAINDER OF THE ELECTORATE,
ABOUT 35% WAS EVENLY DIVIDED
BETWEEN STATE SENATOR TAYLOR,
SHERIFF LUCAS AND ALDERWOMAN.
SO DONOVAN IS ADVANCING TO THE
SECOND ROUND, YES.
BUT NOT FROM A POSITION OF
STRENGTH.
>> AND MILWAUKEE IS GRAPPLING
CURRENTLY WITH VERY HISTORIC
RATES OF VIOLENCE.
CHRISTINE, HOW DID THIS TOPIC
SHAPE THE RACE?
AND WHAT WERE THE POSITIONS OF
THESE TOP TWO FRONTRUNNERS?
>> I MEAN, TO SOME EXTENT, WE
DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
RECKLESS DRIVING.
THERE IS THE QUESTION THERE, HOW
DO YOU KEEP THE ROAD SAFE FOR
PEDESTRIANS, DRIVER, ALL OF THE
PEOPLE WHO USE THOSE ROADS ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER.
THINGS LIKE HOMICIDES AND
MURDER, NO LESS SIGNIFICANT OF
AN ISSUE.
THERE HAS BEEN 31 HOMICIDES IN
MILWAUKEE ALREADY THIS YEAR.
COMPARE THAT TO 2021.
AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR, THERE
WAS ONLY 14 HOMICIDES.
AS BEST AS WE CAN TELL, THE
PROBLEM REALLY ISN'T
DIMINISHING.
FOR WHAT JOHNSON AND DONOVAN HAD
TO SAY ABOUT IT ALL, WELL, I
MEAN, JOHNSON HAS TAKEN FULL
ADVANTAGE OF HOLDING THE MAYOR'S
SEAT IN THE INTERIM POSITION.
HE ANNOUNCED A PUBLIC SAFETY
PLAN, NOT LONG AFTER HE TOOK
THAT POSITION.
AND A LOT OF THAT PLAN IS
DEPENDENT ON EDUCATION, BOTH FOR
POLICE OFFICERS AND THE PUBLIC.
KEEPING OFFICERS AROUND IN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
JUST FUNDING FOR TRAFFIC
ENFORCEMENT AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
PREVENTION PROGRAMS, THAT SORT
OF THING.
DONOVAN TALK ABOUT RESTORING MPD
TO FORMER LEVEL OF MAN POWER.
THERE IS THAT MATTER.
AND THEN, I GUESS, YOU COULD
SAY, DONOVAN'S POSITION IS IS
THAT THERE IS AN ATTITUDE OF
LAWLESSNESS THAT HAS BECOME
PERVASIVE IN PARTS OF MILWAUKEE.
THIS IS PARAPHRASING, FROM THE
FORUM THAT WE HAD HERE IN
MILWAUKEE LAST WEEK.
AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CRIMES
COMMITTED.
SO HARSHER PUNISHMENT.
THEN WORKING WITH DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS, JUDGES AND SO ON.
SO I MEAN, THERE IS SOME
COMMONALITIES IN HOW JOHNSON AND
DONOVAN IS GOING ABOUT THIS.
BUT JOHNSON IS TAKING THE
ADDRESSING THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE
APPROACH, I WOULD SAY THAT
DONOVAN IS TAKING A TOUGH ON
CRIME STANCE.
>> AND MILWAUKEE IS VERY
WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS RACIAL
SEGREGATION AND FOR HAVING SOME
OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF IT IN
THE COUNTRY.
JOHN, YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT
MILWAUKEE'S HISTORICALLY
POLARIZED ELECTORATE.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
AND DID YOU SEE THAT IN
TUESDAY'S PRIMARY RESULTS?
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, GOING TO
GO BACK TO THE LAST TIME THAT
MILWAUKEE HAD A CONTESTED, OR
OPEN MAYORAL ELECTION IN 2004.
AT THAT TIME, THERE IS SOME
PARALLELS TO TODAY.
AT THAT TIME, WE HAD BLACK
ACTING MAYER NAMED MARVIN PRATT.
AND HE RAN AGAINST A WIDE FIELD
IN THE PRIMARY.
TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE PRIMARY.
TOM BARRETT CAME SECOND.
TOM BARRETT DEFEATED MARVIN
PRATT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST RACIALLY
POLARIZED ELECTION RESULTS I
HAVE EVER PERSONALLY LOOKED AT.
IF YOU MAKE JUST A SIMPLE
REGRESSION MODEL WHERE YOU USE
CO-EFFICIENTS FOR EACH WARD,
BASED ON THE PROPORTION OF
RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS THERE,
JUST THOSE VARIABLES ALONE,
EXPLAIN 98% OF TOM BARRETT'S
SHARE.
IT IS REALLY QUITE SHOCKING.
AFTER THAT ELECTION, BARRETT
WENT ON TO CHANGE AND GROW HIS
COALITION IN REAL WAYS.
HIS BASE OF SUPPORT WAS REALLY
IN THE MAJORITY WHITE
PROGRESSIVE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE
CITY ALONG THE LAKE AS WELL AS
HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD OF
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS ON THE WEST
SIDE.
FROM THAT BASE, WHICH COVERS
ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE CITY,
WHEN HE RAN AGAINST A
CONSERVATIVE CON DATE LIKE BOB
-- CANDIDATE LIKE BOB DONOVAN,
HE WOULD GET THE SUPPORT OF THE
CITY AS WELL.
WHEN HE RAN AGAINST A BLACK
CANDIDATE LIKE MARVIN PRATT OR
TAYLOR, HE WOULD GET THE SUPPORT
OF THE CONSERVATIVE WHITE PARTS
OF THE CITY WHICH ARE LIKE BOB
DONOVAN STRONGHOLD.
SO WITH THOSE SETS OF COALITIONS
IN MIND, I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE
WHAT THIS ELECTION WOULD RESULT
IN.
AND INSTEAD WE SAW SOMETHING
RATHER NEW.
CAVALIER JOHNSON, WHO OF COURSE,
REPRESENTS THE SECOND DISTRICT
ON NORTH SIDE OF MILWAUKEE,
ACTUALLY WON QUITE CONSIDERABLE
PLURALITY OF THE VOTE IN THOSE
PARTS OF THE CITY THAT BARRETT
HAD HIS GREATEST STRENGTHS IN.
THE EAST SIDE OF HIGHWAY OR
INTERSTATE 33 AND ALSO THE
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD
ON THE WEST SIDE.
THIS WAS IN SOME WAYS, ONE OF
THE LESS RACIALLY POLARIZED
ELECTIONS THAT WE HAVE SEEN
RECENTLY IN MILWAUKEE.
>> SO ALSO A MAJOR DEBATE IN NOT
THE ONLY CITY OF MILWAUKEE
ITSELF, EXPANDING OUT SOMETHING
THAT STATE LAWMAKERS ALSO DEBATE
AS WELL, MILWAUKEE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
SO CHRISTINE, HOW DID THE ISSUES
OF SCHOOLS PLAY OUT?
AND WILL WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS
COME UP FOR BOTH OF THE
CANDIDATES IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION?
>> RIGHT, I MEAN, AS YOU
MENTIONED, IT IS AN ISSUE THAT
SORT OF TRANSCENDS THE CITY.
ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, I'LL OFFER
A CALLOUT TO MADDY, THIS VERY
MOMENT, WORKING ON A STORY OF
STATE LEGISLATURE PROPOSAL THAT
SPLIT UP MILWAUKEE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
THAT WAS ON THE MINDS OF THE
CANDIDATES AT FORUM LAST WEEK.
THE MODERATORS ASKED ALL OF THE
CANDIDATES AT ONE POINT, DO ANY
OF YOU SUPPORT THAT PROPOSAL?
NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM RAISED
THEIR HANDS.
WHICH I THINK THAT SPEAKS SOME
TO THAT REALLY DIVIDE BETWEEN
THE PERSPECTIVE OF STATE
GOVERNMENT, THE LEGISLATURE FOR
THAT MATTER, ON THIS.
AND WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CITY,
WORKING ON THESE ISSUES HERE,
STAYING ON IT.
I THINK THAT GOES BACK SOME TO
THE ISSUE OF, HOW DO YOU WORK
WITH STATE GOVERNANCE TO MAKE
SURE THAT ONE, THE SCHOOLS ARE
GETTING THE FUNDING THEY NEED SO
THAT TEACHERS CAN MAKE A LIVING,
SO THAT MARGINALIZED GROUPS THAT
WE DON'T REALLY SEE MUCH IN
TEACHING ARE MORE EQUITABLY
REPRESENTED.
SO STUDENTS CAN GET A RELEVANT
UP TO DATE EDUCATION THAT FITS
IN THAT MODERN CONTEXT.
DONOVAN WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS AREN'T LEFT
OUT OF THE CONVERSATION EITHER.
JOHNSON MEANWHILE HAS FOCUSED
BIT MORE AND GETTING EDUCATION
STARTED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD JUST
TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE
FOUNDATIONS ARE IN PLACE FROM
THE GET GO.
OF COURSE, YOU COULD GO ON AND
ON AND ON ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
IS IT GOING TO COME UP IN THE
GENERAL?
I, I DON'T SEE WHY NOT?
MAYBE NOT AS PROMINENT OF ISSUE
AS VIOLENCE AND THE LIKE.
THIS IS THE SORT OF THING THAT
AFFECTS THE GENERATIONS TO COME.
WITH THE LEGISLATURE SETTING
THEIR SIGHTS ON BREAKING UP MPS,
THERE IS ANOTHER EXISTENTIAL
QUESTION, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH
THAT, IF YOU ARE GOING TO DEAL
WITH THAT?
DO YOU RECKON WITH THE MATTER
MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE GETTING
THE FUNDING YOU NEED?
>> NOW, JOHN, YOU HAVE GONE BACK
AS YOU JUST SPOKE TO LOOKING AT
THE VOTING PATTERNS OF ELECTIONS
FOR MAYOR TOM BARRETT AND HOW HE
HAS WON THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
MORE RECENTLY, YOU ALSO LOOKED
AT COUNTY EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS
AND HOW THAT MIGHT BE SPEAKING
TO WHAT THE CURRENT MOMENT IS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT?
>> THE 2020 COUNTY EXECUTIVE
RACE WAS A VERY INTERESTING ONE.
THE GENERAL ELECTION PITTED
DAVID CROWLEY, WHO IS A STATE
ASSEMBLYMAN AGAINST CHRIS
LARSON, WHO IS A STATE SENATOR
FROM MILWAUKEE.
BOTH DEMOCRATS.
BUT LARSON WAS, IS OUTSPOKEN
PROGRESSIVE AND CROWLEY, WELL,
CERTAINLY NO CONSERVATIVE, I
GUESS, WAS PERCEIVED AS MORE OF
THE MODERATE TRACK IN THAT RACE.
DAVID CROWLEY IS BLACK.
CHRIS LARSON IS WHITE.
CHRIS LARSON WON THOSE PARTS OF
THE CITY THAT SUPPORTED TOM
BARRETT OVERWHELMINGLY.
THE PARTS BY THE LAKE AND WHAT
NOT.
CROWLEY WON THE MAJORITY BLACK
PARTS OF THE CITY BUT ALSO DID
SURPRISINGLY WELL IN THE MORE
CONSERVATIVE PARTS OF MILWAUKEE
AND MILWAUKEE COUNTY.
ALTHOUGH HE LOST THE FAR SOUTH
AND SOUTHWEST SIDE, HE DID SO BY
LESS.
HE GOT MORE DEVOUT THAN HE DID,
MORE PROGRESSIVE EAST SIDE OF
THE CITY.
CROWLEY ALSO NARROWLY WON
MILWAUKEE COUNTY'S CONSERVATIVE
SUBURB OF FRANKLIN WHILE LOSING
THE MOST PROGRESSIVE SUBURB OF
SHERWOOD.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE PATTERN
ACROSS THE RACES.
THAT SHOWED, YOU KNOW, A
POSSIBLY NEW COALITION IN
MILWAUKEE POLITICS THAT COULD BE
SUCCESSFUL.
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WE SAW IN
THIS MAYORAL ELECTION, IN THIS
PRIMARY INSTEAD IT WAS THE
PROGRESSIVE PARTS OF THE CITY
AND ALONG THE LAKE AND THE
DISTRICTS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF
THE CITY THAT REALLY JOINED
FORCES TO GET CAVALIER JOHNSON
THIS LARGE PLURALITY IN THE
PRIMARY.
>> NOW CHRISTINE, NOT PERSONALLY
BEING A RESIDENT OF MILWAUKEE,
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE
GUESSED SOMETHING LIKE RECKLESS
DRIVING WOULD BE A TOP ISSUE.
SO WHY ARE CERTAIN ISSUES
GETTING ATTENTION?
AND AS JOHN JUST SPOKE TO, HOW
IS RACE A FACTOR IN THE ISSUES
THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT?
AND OVERALL, WILL PEOPLE BE
TURNING TO THESE SAME ISSUES, DO
YOU THINK IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION?
>> RIGHT.
I MEAN, TO COME TO THE MATTER OF
RECKLESS DRIVING, IT IS ALMOST
BECOME KIND OF A TROPE ABOUT
MILWAUKEE IN THIS LAST YEAR OR
TWO.
I THINK THAT PART OF THAT HAS TO
DO WITH THE CAR THEFTS AND THE
RECORD NUMBERS OF THOSE THAT WE
ARE SEEING.
AND A FAIR NUMBER OF THAT HAS TO
DO WITH KIA AND HYUNDAI
VEHICLES.
WEIRD TO BRING CERTAIN MAKES OF
CARS INTO THIS, THEY HAD
PROBLEMS WITH CERTAIN CAR,
CERTAIN MODEL YEAR, EASY TO
BREAK INTO AND TAKE WITHOUT THE
KEY.
WHAT YOU END UP WITH, YOUNG
PEOPLE, TEENAGER, SOMETIMES
PRE-TEENS THAT WILL BREAK INTO
THE CARS, TAKE THEM FOR A
JOYRIDE AND THEN LEAVE THEM
STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE
ROAD.
BECAUSE THESE KIDS DON'T REALLY
HAVE THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT
THEY NEEDED.
ESPECIAL LIVE IN THESE MORE
MARGINALIZED AREAS OF THE CITY.
I MEAN BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY
ISSUE AT PLAY HERE.
WE COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE
CAR THEFTS.
THERE IS ALSO JUST THE MATTER
OF, DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
DOING WHEN THEY ARE DRIVING?
AND DO, IS THERE EQUITABLE
ACCESS TO DRIVER'S EDUCATION IN
MILWAUKEE?
ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE MORE
MARGINALIZED GROUPS AS YOU WERE
SPEAKING TO A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, MANY OF THE DRIVERS ED
PROGRAMS THAT EXIST RIGHT NOW IN
MILWAUKEE, ARE EITHER LIMITED IN
CAPACITY OR JUST PLAIN
UNAFFORDABLE.
JOHNSON IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES WHOSE CALLED FOR
UNIVERSAL DRIVERS EDUCATION.
AT MPS.
HE ACTUALLY, NOT LONG BEFORE HE
TOOK OVER THE INTERIM MAYORSHIP,
HE UNVEILED A PLAN TO TACKLE THE
ISSUE.
WITH INCREASED POLICE
ENFORCEMENT, TECHNOLOGY, ALTERED
STREET DESIGN AND SO ON.
YOU HAVE DONOVAN GOING ALONG
WITH THE IDEA OF STEPPING UP
ENFORCEMENT.
THAT FORM, HE TALKED ABOUT THE
LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR
CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE TO
COMMIT CRIMES.
THAT POINT, I THINK THAT YOU ARE
GETTING INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT
CAN OF WORMS IN THOSE ISSUES
WITH, WELL, HOW DOES THE
COMMUNITY CONNECT WITH THE
POLICE?
AND WOULD THAT RISK STRAINING
THAT RELATIONSHIP EVEN MORE THAN
IT ALREADY STRAINED?
ARE THESE ISSUES GOING TO GO
AWAY IN THE GENERAL?
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE NAIVE
TO ASSUME THAT THEY WOULD.
I MEAN, THESE AREN'T GOING AWAY.
I MEAN, IN THESE SORTS OF
CAMPAIGNS, YOU SEE PEOPLE
TENDING TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS
THOSE ISSUES THAT HIT CLOSE TO
HOME.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE
RECKLESS DRIVING, THE CITY THAT
IS SO RELIANT ON PEOPLE USING
THE ROADS TO GET AROUND, IT
AFFECTS, IF NOT MOST PEOPLE'S
LIVES, THEN CERTAINLY IT AFFECTS
A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES IN ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER.
>> AND JOHN, A PART OF YOUR
RESEARCH HAS BEEN LOOKING AT HOW
THE CITY'S DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE
BEEN CHANGING.
AND HOW THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTING
THE ELECTION.
WHAT HAVE THOSE CHANGING
DEMOGRAPHICS LOOKED LIKE?
IS YOUR DATA SHOWING ANYTHING
ABOUT HOW THAT IS INFLUENCING
THE ISSUES AND HOW CANDIDATES
ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES?
AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE
LOOKING FOR AS WE HEAD INTO THE
GENERAL ELECTION?
IN APRIL?
>> YEAH, IN 2004, WHEN BARRETT
WON HIS FIRST ELECTION, PROBABLY
A MAJORITY OF THE CITY'S ADULTS
AT THAT TIME, WERE STILL
NON-HISPANIC WHITE.
THAT IS NOT TRUE ANYMORE.
MILWAUKEE IS A VERY DIVERSE CITY
SEGREGATED, YES, BUT ALSO
DIVERSE.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO WIN CITYWIDE
RACE, TODAY, YOU NEED A MULTI
RACIAL COALITION TO DO SO.
I WAS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE
TWO DECADES AGO.
AND SO IT WILL BE A REAL
CHALLENGE FOR DONOVAN BASED ON
HIS PAST ELECTION RESULTS TO
ACHIEVE THAT.
I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE
LAST TIME DONOVAN RAN IN 2016
AND IN THAT PRIMARY, THERE WERE,
THERE IS TOM BARRETT, BOB
DONOVAN AND JOE DAVIS AND
ALDERMAN FROM, ACTUALLY,
CAVALIER JOHNSON'S CURRENT
DISTRICT, THE SECOND DISTRICT.
AND AS I SAID, DONOVAN GOT ABOUT
A THIRD OF THE VOTE, AS I
RECALL.
JOE DAVIS GOT 18%.
JOE DAVIS ACTUALLY ENDORSED BOB
DONOVAN AFTER LOSING THE
PRIMARY.
IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO MAKE A WIT
OF DIFFERENCE TO THE VOTERS IN
HIS DISTRICT THAT SUPPORTED
BARRETT OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE
GENERAL ELECTION BUT I THINK
THAT SPEAKS TO DONOVAN'S REAL
STRUGGLE TO BUILD ANY KIND OF
APPEAL OUTSIDE OF HIS BASE OF
SUPPORT IN THE 11TH AND 13TH
ALDERMANIC SUPPORT, ON THE
SOUTH, SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE
CITY.
IN FACT, HE DID WORSE IN THOSE
DISTRICTS NOW THAN HE DID SIX
YEARS AGO.
SO IT IS, IT IS A REAL QUESTION
OF IF HE CAN FIND ANY WAY TO
APPEAL TO MORE VOTERS THAN HE
ALREADY HAS.
>> AND WITH SO MANY THINGS
CHANGING IN THE CITY AS
CHRISTINE SPOKE TO, AT THE START
OF THE PROGRAM, IT IS GOING TO
LOOK LIKE THE IDENTITY OF THE
CITY IS GOING TO CHANGE WITH
THIS MAYORAL CHANGE.
SO WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE.
CHRISTINE HATFIELD OF WISCONSIN
PUBLIC RADIO AND JOHN JOHNSON OF
THE MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL.
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR THE
CONVERSATION.
>> THANK YOU.
>> FOR MORE FROM HERE AND NOW,
AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS.
AND BEFORE WE GO, NOON WEDNESDAY
IS GOING TO BE TAKING A BRIEF
BREAK.
CHECK THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES AND
WE'LL BE BACK SOON WITH MORE
NEWS MAKER CONVERSATIONS.
BUT UNTIL THEN, I'M MARISA
WOJCIK, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.