Incumbent Tom Barrett will face state Sen. Lena Taylor in the April election as he seeks a fifth term as Milwaukee mayor.
With almost all of the vote in, Barrett was at 50 percent, while Taylor, D-Milwaukee, was at 31 percent.
Ald. Tony Zielinski was in third at 16 percent.
Barrett finished the pre-primary reporting period with $896,319 cash on hand. Taylor, meanwhile, had just $7,287 in the bank, and Barrett used his financial advantage to get up on TV ahead of the primary.
“I’m more optimistic than ever for our city,” Barrett said. “While others work to divide us, I’ve always tried to bring the city together. I love this job and I love being your mayor.”
Taylor is seeking to be the first African American elected mayor of the state’s largest city.
She told WisPolitics.com she was “very excited to be able to continue in this process to create Milwaukee that is equitable for all.”
“I believe that the need for change is what the message has been across the city,” Taylor said.
