MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's Third District, which includes the East Side and Riverwest neighborhoods, is abuzz with anticipation as voters prepare to choose new leadership.
With pressing community concerns such as crime, education, and housing affordability at the forefront, residents are eager to see how the candidates will address these issues.
"There seems to be some enthusiasm for serving the community," said Rachel Ida Buff, a resident of the district.
With eight candidates in the race, voters have a wide range of choices. At an early voting location today, many residents shared their priorities, with education standing out as a key issue.
"I'm a mom of four, so I'm really looking at issues in our school district—supporting our students and creating a healthy, loving, and accepting environment for them," Steph Davies said.
Tyler Szoszek echoed that sentiment. "I feel like public education should always be helped and funded," he said.
Beyond education, other major concerns weigh on voters' minds. Immigration policies and law enforcement approaches remain divisive topics.
Watch: Third District voters cite crime and housing as top concerns ahead of Primary
"I'm really concerned about more militarization of police and having more ICE around," Buff said.
Davies emphasized the need for comprehensive improvements across all neighborhoods. "I think all the neighborhoods need attention. We need improvements in streets, improvements in community programs, and assistance—letting all communities thrive, not just a select few," she said.
For Angela Lang, policing policies are a crucial issue. "I'm personally curious to see how candidates deal with policing. We've seen some car thefts, and some people's reaction is automatically more punitive messaging, rather than making sure people have livable wages," Lang said.
As the election nears, residents stress the importance of researching candidates before heading to the polls. The February 18 primary will narrow the field to just two candidates for the April 1 general election.
"If you don't go to the primary, there's a decent chance the candidate you want might not make it," Szoszek warned.
Eight candidates are running in the primary:
- Josh Anderson
- Daniel Bauman
- Alex Brower
- Franco 'Frank' Ferrante
- Ieshuh Griffin
- Bryant Junco
- Alexander Kostal
- Nas Musa
With so much at stake, voters in the Third District are preparing to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
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