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1996 Milwaukee mayoral election

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1996 Milwaukee mayoral election

← 1992 March 19, 1996 2000 →
 
Candidate John Norquist Richard Artison
Popular vote 82,148 54,972
Percentage 59.91% 40.09%

Mayor before election

John Norquist
Democratic

Elected mayor

John Norquist
Democratic

The 1996 Milwaukee mayoral election was held on March 19, 1996, to elect the mayor of Milwaukee. Incumbent mayor John Norquist was re-elected to a third term in office.

Candidates

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Campaign

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Incumbent mayor John Norquist had first been elected in 1988. His 1988 candidacy was boosted by support from a coalition of liberal-leaning white voters and black voters. Norquist was generally described to be a political progressive on maters such as transit, employment policies, and environmentalism; as well as a believer in new urbanism.[2] However, he also held certain positions that departed from the city's prior liberal orthodoxy, including his stances in support of ending welfare and cutting the city's budget.[3] While generally popular, Norquist had political opposition, including from police, teachers, and other municipal unions, particularly due to the implementation of a requirement that city and school district employees be residents of the city.[2]

Norquist's sole challenger was Artison, the former sheriff of Milwaukee County. Artison, the first black person to serve as a sheriff in the state of Wisconsin, was seeking to make history again by being elected Milwaukee's first black mayor. Artson had served as sheriff from 1984 until retiring from that office in 1995, having been elected as a Democrat to six consecutive two-year terms. An October 1995 opinion poll showed Norquist and Artison to be the city's two most popularly-liked elected officials. Norquist and Artison both advanced from the primary to the two-candidate general election.[1][2]

The campaign did not take a racial or overly negative tone. This was in contrast to the negative and racial tone of the coinciding circuit court election between incumbent Russell Stamper (who was black) and white opponent Robert Crawford (who was white).[2]

Norquist's candidacy likely benefited from his incumbency, as incumbents rarely had been unseated in Milwaukee mayoral elections. A scientific exit poll indicated that Norquist voters' decision had been most motivated by a belie that he was the candidate who was "most competent for the job [of mayor]".[2]

Opinion polls

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An October 1995 poll of a head-to-head matchup between Norquist and Artison showed Norquist receiving 48% of support and Artison receiving 40% of support among likely voters.[2]

Result

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Election result[4]
Candidate Votes %
John Norquist (incumbent) 82,148 59.91
Richard Artison 54,972 40.09
Total votes 137,120 100

References

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  1. ^ a b Jannene, Jeramey (July 20, 2023). "City Hall: Street Will Receive Honorary Name For Wisconsin's First Black Sheriff". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Longoria, Thomas, Jr. (March 1999). "The Impact of Office on Crossracial Voting Evidence from the 1996 Milwaukee Mayoral Election". Urban Affairs Review. 34 (4). Retrieved 3 April 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Milwaukee Mayor". NPR. April 5, 1996. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Final Spring Elections Results". Wisconsin State Journal. March 21, 1996. p. 20. Retrieved July 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.