1988 Milwaukee mayoral election

none November 2025 November 2025 1988 Milwaukee mayoral election Flag of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.svg mayoral no 1984 Milwaukee mayoral election 1984 1992 Milwaukee mayoral election 1992 April 5, 1988 John Norquist, Wisconsin Senate official portrait photograph, 1983 (3x4).jpg John Norquist c0c0c0 112,902 54.64% Martin J. Schreiber (1977).png Martin J. Schreiber c0c0c0 93,738 45.36% Mayor Henry Maier John Norquist The 1988 Milwaukee mayoral election was held in April 1988, to elect the mayor of Milwaukee. State Senator John Norquist was elected to succeed outgoing mayor Henry Maier. Norquist defeated Martin J. Schreiber (the former lieutenant governor and acting governor of Wisconsin) in the general election. Six other candidates (including Lee Holloway) were eliminated in the nonpartisan primary. Dennis Conta (former Wisconsin secretary of revenue) withdrew from the race before the primary took place. Background Incumbent mayor Henry Maier had held the office since being elected in 1960. He opted to forgo re-election in 1988 and to retire from the mayoralty at the age of 70.State Sen. Norquist Wins Milwaukee Mayoral Race https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-06-mn-520-story.html Los Angeles Times Associated Press November 10, 2025 April 6, 1988 He cited his belief that he had grown too old to seek another term.Milwaukee Voters Choose Mayor Candidates https://www.newspapers.com/image/361346556 Newspapers.com subscription Leader-Telegram The Associated Press December 30, 2025 Eau Claire, Wisconsin 16 February 17, 1988 The election coincided with county elections, including the election for Milwaukee County Executive (which was won by Dave Schulz in a landslide). The general election coincided with the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary and the Wisconsin Republican presidential primary.After 28 Years, Milwaukee Chooses a New Mayor https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/07/us/after-28-years-milwaukee-chooses-a-new-mayor.html The New York Times The Associated Press February 12, 2026 7 April 1988 While the election itself was non-partisan, both of the candidates in the general election were Democrats, as was the outgoing mayor. Candidates Advanced to general election John Norquist, state senator Martin J. Schreiber, former acting governor, former lieutenant governor, former state senator Eliminated in primary Lee Holloway Willie G. Lovelace Donna Horowitz Richards, 1984 mayoral runner-up, teacher, youth workerWise David Tuesday's Primary Sets Stage For Historic Mayoral Election In Milwaukee https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/tuesdays-primary-sets-stage-for-historic-mayoral-election-in-milwaukee WisPolitics December 30, 2025 February 14, 2022Mayor Henry Maier, Dean of America's Big City Mayors,... https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1984/04/04/Mayor-Henry-Maier-dean-of-Americas-big-city-mayors/1074449902800 UPI December 30, 2025 en April 4, 1984 Kevin J. Robinson Sandra Sherman, garment worker Withdrew Dennis Conta, former Wisconsin secretary of revenue and former state assemblyman Campaign After the early withdrawal of Conta in February, local journalist Bruce Murphy opined, "[Conta's] withdrawal turns this into a two-man race lasting more than five months, and I don’t think Schreiber...can stand up to the scrutiny of the electorate for half a year."No Holds Barred https://www.milwaukeemag.com/NoHoldsBarred/ Milwaukee Magazine December 24, 2025 March 6, 2008 Norquist's candidacy was boosted by support from a coalition of liberal-leaning white voters and black voters. Among the black voters who Norquist courted were many whom the Chicago Tribune described as belonging to Milwaukee's black "Intelligentsia". Schulz's coalition was described as predominantly middle class in its socio-economic character. This differed from incumbent mayor Maier's coalition, which had been predominantly blue collar. 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.Longoria Thomas Jr. The Impact of Office on Crossracial Voting Evidence from the 1996 Milwaukee Mayoral Election Urban Affairs Review March 1999 34 4 https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=cf6e33ed8f190f1c2733f270f5b143993344407d 3 April 2024 However, he also held certain positions that departed from the city's prior liberal orthodoxy and were more commonly of conservatives, including his stances in support of ending welfare and cutting the city's budget.Milwaukee Mayor https://www.npr.org/1996/04/05/1043001/-milwaukee-mayor NPR 3 April 2024 April 5, 1996 Norquist's campaign platform emphasized taking new approaches, bringing jobs to the city, and fostering greater unity between the city's disjointed north and south sides.Norquis Milwaukee's Mayor https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/04/07/norquist-milwaukees-mayor Chicago Tribune November 10, 2025 April 7, 1988 One description given to his views at the time of the 1988 election was "conservative socialist".Politics https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/politics/ Encyclopedia of Milwaukee February 13, 2026 After Milwaukee County Parks Director Dave Schulz endorsed Noquist's campaign in late 1987, he was fired by Milwaukee County Executive William O'Donnell. Schulz then launched an ultimately successful campaign to unseat O'Donnell in the coinciding county executive election. State Senator Barbara Ulichney served as Norquist's campaign treasurer. Outgoing mayor Maier did not make an endorsement of a preferred successor. The general election between Norquist and Schreiber was hard fought, but Norquist won by a sizable margin of victory. Norquist was regarded to be the candidate that more challenged the city's existing political establishment, while Schreiber was regarded as the candidate who was seen as friendlier to the establishment. Polls Early on, initial polling had showed the race favoring Schreiber. Norquist was well behind him in early polls. Polls conducted in the weeks before the primary showed the field dominated by Schreibrer and Norquist. Schreiber held a consistent lead over Norquist in polls, but that lead narrowed as the election neared. Polls conducted ahead of the general election indicated a close race. The weekend prior to the election, the Milwaukee Journal released a poll showing Norquist leading by only four points, with 24% of voters remaining undecided. Campaign spending The election was the most expensive in Milwaukee's history up to that time, with the two general election candidates spending a combined $1 million. This total exceeded the statewide campaign spending of any pair of Democratic presidential primary contenders. Norquist's campaign spent $800,000, while Schreiber's spent $500,000. Results Primary results The primary saw 25% turnout among registered voters. Primary resultSchreiber, Norquist Face Mayoral Battle https://www.newspapers.com/image/599437113 Kenosha News Newspapers.com United Press International subscription February 12, 2026 27 February 17, 1988Schreiber, Norquist Survive Milwaukee Mayoral Primary https://www.newspapers.com/image/522578169 The Capital Times Newspapers.con subscription The Associated Press February 12, 2026 21 February 17, 1988 Martin J. Schreiber 44,984 44 John Norquist 40,575 40 Lee Holloway 7,886 8 Donna Horowitz Richards 5,983 6 Willie Lovelace <1 Kevin J. Robinson <1 Sandra Sherman <1 Schreiber's lead in the primary was lower than what he had anticipated receiving above Norquist. In his remarks on the night of the primary, Schreiber noted that he had been out-spent by Norquist and promised his campaign would win votes in the general election, "the old fashioned way –we're going to earn it."Milwaukee Mayor: Schreiber, Norquist https://www.newspapers.com/image/401355505 Newspapers.com subscription The Associated Press Wisconsin State Journal December 26, 2025 13 February 17, 1988 General election results complete, unofficial returns: General election result John Norquist 112,902 55 Martin J. Schreiber 93,738 45 Exit polls indicated that Norquist received 59% of the city's black vote, while Schreiber received 41%. The city's population at the time was one-fifth black. References Milwaukee mayoral Milwaukee Category:Mayoral elections in Milwaukee Milwaukee mayoral Milwaukee mayor 1988 Category:1980s in Milwaukee