MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Tuesday that his confirmation as a U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg could potentially take up to nine months.
President Joe Biden submitted the official Luxembourg ambassadorship nomination to the U.S. Senate Monday.
It took the previous nominee eight months to be confirmed. If the process takes that long this time around, a 2022 special spring election to replace Barrett wouldn't be likely.
Our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal report that the conventional thinking is that Barrett will resign as mayor by year-end 2021 or early in 2022, making way for Common Council president Ald. Cavalier Johnson to serve as acting mayor followed by an election to complete Barrett’s term that runs until April 2024.
So far, the growing list of people throwing in their hat for the mayor's seat includes Johnson, former Ald. Bob Donovan, Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas and Milwaukee Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic.
Barrett told reporters Tuesday that he doesn’t know how long it will take for his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
“It could be nine months, it could be six months, it could be two months,” he said.
U.S. Ambassadors to Luxembourg in the past 30 years have served in the position between one year and four years.
