SOUTH MILWAUKEE — South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks today announced his candidacy for Wisconsin’s 21st State Assembly District.
“Madison is broken, more polarized by partisanship than ever before,” Brooks said. “It doesn’t have to be this way. South Milwaukee, Oak Creek and Franklin deserve better — someone who will build bridges to address the big issues facing our state, especially now, as we navigate through a public health pandemic and begin to assess what the ‘new normal’ should look like in Wisconsin.
“It’s simple: We are stronger, together. I have brought that philosophy to life as the mayor of South Milwaukee since 2014. It’s my job to work with others to get things done, and I will bring that commitment to the Capitol.
“A lot of times, that means getting the state the heck out of the way, and restoring local control the legislature has taken from communities in big and small ways for more than a decade. It means giving communities more flexibility to fund our first responders, public works crews, public health workers, libraries, and other services — and increasing our ability to fix local roads and invest in utilities and other critical infrastructure. It also means giving our first-class South Milwaukee, Oak Creek and Franklin schools the tools and funding flexibility they need to educate our kids and serve the community in these incredibly challenging times.
“I will stand for smart investments in areas like public safety, public education, health, economic development, transportation, a strong safety net, and more. We’ll do that while ensuring the state is a good steward of taxpayer (your) money, just as we’ve done in South Milwaukee for years. And as a career communications professional, I will stand for transparency, making sure you are engaged every step of the way.”
Brooks, a Democrat, will challenge Republican incumbent Jessie Rodriguez for the seat. He announced he will serve out his three-year term as mayor when he wins, and donate his entire mayoral paycheck to charity when that happens.
