On Tuesday, Amani residents gathered at the COA Youth & Family Center on West Burleigh Street to cast ballots in what could become a historic Wisconsin gubernatorial election. The precinct sits on the very block where Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley spent his youth, and voters were asked to decide whether he should become the state’s first Black governor.
Candidates on the ballot
David Crowley, the Democratic nominee, is the current Milwaukee County executive and a longtime public‑service figure in the city. He faces Republican U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District in the state’s far‑north.
Local voices and concerns
Among the voters was 19‑year‑old first‑time voter Amina Abdi, who said she chose Crowley because she believes young people’s votes matter most. “A lot of young people think our vote doesn’t matter, but I think ours matter the most because we’re the majority,” she said. Abdi, a student at Milwaukee Area Technical College, wants the next governor to prioritize safety in Milwaukee Public Schools, noting frequent news coverage of incidents at Rufus King High School.
Patrick Jordan, director of operations at Adullam Outreach, also supported Crowley, citing a recent education‑related case in his neighborhood. He recounted how a child with an Individualized Education Program was turned away from a private school after the school received state funding for the student’s education, saying, “I didn’t even know they could get away with that.”
Child‑care provider Carmella Brown, 40, expressed a desire for broader health‑care reform. After losing her sister to respiratory failure and encountering insurance gaps, Brown said, “Her health insurance didn’t cover everything she needed.” She hopes a new governor will address such gaps.
Ricky Welch, a 62‑year‑old carpenter, praised recent traffic‑calming measures in Amani, such as curb bump‑outs, that he attributes to Crowley’s leadership. “If he could keep all of those things going, then that would be good,” Welch said, adding that he relies on his Obamacare coverage and hopes it remains intact.
Community hopes for representation
Residents like Kenyette Blue, a clerk at House of Prayer Restoration Missionary Baptist Church, see a governor from their neighborhood as a sign of progress. “It’s going to be a connection,” she said. Former Amani United president Brother Rice Bey echoed that sentiment, urging the candidate to “just do your job as best as you can.”
Jordan summed up the broader desire for opportunity, noting, “Even if we have businesses in this neighborhood, the city keeps us down. To get a position right in this neighborhood is hard to do, even if you do everything right.”
What’s at stake
The election will determine whether Wisconsin elects its first Black governor, a milestone that many local voters view as a step toward greater inclusion and responsive leadership. While the race is partisan, the community focus remains on practical concerns: school safety, health‑care access, and continued infrastructure improvements.
As the polls close, Amani’s turnout reflects a broader trend of civic engagement in neighborhoods that have historically felt overlooked. Whether the vote ultimately favors Crowley or Tiffany, the day underscores the power of local participation in shaping state leadership.
Original reporting: Wisconsin Watch — read the source article.
