Tom Barrett (politician)

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Thomas "Tom" Marc Barrett (born December 8, 1953) is an American politician, former Congressman from Wisconsin and the current mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tom Barrett was elected Milwaukee’s 40th Mayor on April 6, 2004, and won a second term in 2008 with 79% of the vote – the largest percentage a Mayoral candidate has received in 40 years. Mayor Barrett’s top priorities remain creating good paying jobs, fighting crime and reducing violence, and sparking new economic opportunities for every resident.

As Milwaukee’s Chief Executive, Tom Barrett is making neighborhood streets safer by adding more officers to the Milwaukee Police Department – creating the largest strength of police force in a decade – and working with the police chief to re-establish the Anti-Gang and Violent Crime Units.

Barrett also brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to target illegal guns, and has forged partnerships with faith-based groups and neighborhood organizations to strengthen the community’s role in reducing crime.

Mayor Barrett owns an impressive record of making Milwaukee ‘open for business,’ that includes holding the line on property taxes and spearheading carefully planned economic development efforts across the City. Just a few of the many development successes include a number of businesses in the Menomonee Valley, the Harley-Davidson Museum, the Milwaukee Intermodal Passenger Station, and the new Manpower Headquarters in the Park East Corridor.

Mayor Barrett continues to work to leverage the City’s economic toolkit to create family-supporting jobs, and those efforts have sparked more than 11,000 new jobs in Milwaukee since 2004.

Working in partnership with Mayor Barrett, Bucyrus International, Direct Supply and Palermo Villa, Inc. are just some of the businesses that have recently located or expanded in Milwaukee. Barrett has also increased support for small businesses by providing aid to entrepreneurs to expand or open businesses – such as Columbia Savings bank on the near north side and El Rey on the south side.

Barrett believes strongly in improving quality of life in Milwaukee. A key component is creating hope in the lives of young people throughout the city, which is why Mayor Barrett launched his Youth Summer Jobs Program.

This critical initiative places Milwaukee high school students in summertime jobs in City departments, private businesses and the non-profit sector. The goals are simple: give young people valuable job skills and experience, the chance to earn money and connect them with mentors who can help steer them to a positive future after high school. Thousands of Milwaukee high school students have participated in jobs statewide through this valuable program, and seeks to make the program year-round in 2008.

Another way to create hope and improve quality of life is to strengthen our community’s moral compass through efforts that bring families together. Mayor Barrett launched the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative to address absentee fatherhood and encourage dads to remain active in their children’s lives. He also aggressively supports initiatives that target and reduce teen pregnancy.

Barrett is working closely with the UW-Milwaukee to bring a School of Public Health to the City of Milwaukee and has convened a working group from higher education, business and social services to reduce poverty.

Barrett has outlined his vision for a greener Milwaukee and has established the Office of Environmental Sustainability to bring cleaner air and a healthier environment to residents. He is also one of the region’s greatest champion’s for the Great Lakes – Wisconsin’s greatest natural treasure – and is a vocal proponent of passage of the Great Lakes Compact.

Tom Barrett grew up on Milwaukee's West side, graduated college and law school from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was a member of both the Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate, and was elected to five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Barrett and his wife, Kris, live in Milwaukee's Washington Heights Neighborhood with their four children: Tommy, Annie, Erin and Kate.



[edit] Electoral history

2008 Race for Mayor (Milwaukee) Tom Barrett 79% (inc.) Andrew Shaw 20%

  • 2004 Race for Mayor (Milwaukee)
  • 2002 Race for Governor — Democratic Primary

[edit] External links

www.milwaukee.gov }}

[edit] References


Preceded by
Jim Moody		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 5th congressional district
1993–2003		 Succeeded by
Jim Sensenbrenner
Preceded by
Marvin Pratt		 Mayor of Milwaukee
2004–present		 Succeeded by
incumbent
Representatives to the 103rd-107th United States Congresses from Wisconsin
103rd Senate: H. Kohl | R. Feingold House: P. Barca | S. Klug | S. Gunderson | J. Kleczka | T. Barrett | T. Petri | D. Obey | T. Roth | J. Sensenbrenner
104th Senate: H. Kohl | R. Feingold House: M. Neumann | S. Klug | S. Gunderson | J. Kleczka | T. Barrett | T. Petri | D. Obey | T. Roth | J. Sensenbrenner
105th Senate: H. Kohl | R. Feingold House: M. Neumann | S. Klug | R. Kind | J. Kleczka | T. Barrett | T. Petri | D. Obey | J. W. Johnson | J. Sensenbrenner
106th Senate: H. Kohl | R. Feingold House: P. Ryan | T. Baldwin | R. Kind | J. Kleczka | T. Barrett | T. Petri | D. Obey | M. Green | J. Sensenbrenner
107th Senate: H. Kohl | R. Feingold House: P. Ryan | T. Baldwin | R. Kind | J. Kleczka | T. Barrett | T. Petri | D. Obey | M. Green | J. Sensenbrenner