HE'S BACK! (FOR NOW) CITY BOARD PUTS NORMAN ON BALLOT
By Michael Horne
The topsy-turvy candidacy of Jeffrey B. Norman for Milwaukee Municipal Judge Branch 3 righted itself today as the City of Milwaukee Board of Election Commissioners voted 2-1 to put the Milwaukee detective and attorney on the ballot.
Commissioners Robert Spindell and Victoria Tolliver voted in favor of the measure, with Al Campos against it.
This will almost certainly prompt an appeal from "any or all of the five other candidates to the State of Wisconsin Election Commission," according to Sue Edman, Executive Director of the commission. The state commissioners will not have much time to dawdle on the matter, since the election is scheduled for February 20th.
To complicate matters, Edman's staff continues to send out absentee ballots for the election. These ballots, and ones already voted on and returned to the city, will not have Norman's name on them, even though his name is not on those ballots.
If an appeal does result from today's ruling (which seems almost certain) and if Norman's name is not placed on the ballot by the state, then it looks like the election should proceed smoothly. However, if Norman's name will be on the ballot, there is the question of what is to be done with the ballots already sent out and marked.
The five candidates who are on the ballot are Bill Baldon, Phillip M. Chavez, Jennifer J. Havas, Robert B. Rondini and Jay A. Unora.
Here is a link to the State Ethics Board's denial of Norman's request last month.
posted by Michael Horne @ 3:02 PM
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3 Comments:
Just when you thought the city election board couldn't look more foolish. I am amazed that these people haven't quit out of shame. What a joke!
This is a ridiculous decision. The ballots have been printed, mailed out, and in some cases been filled out and mailed back to the city.
This sets a terrible precedence such that required paperwork to run for office is not really necessary because you can always weasel your way in if you cry enough!
Jeff Norman is one of the most qualified people ever to run for Milwaukee Municipal Judge. A former assistant district attorney and currently one of the Police Department's most skilled homicide detectives, he would make an outstanding judge.
However, many folks in the inner city feel that the "courthouse insiders" are trying to torpedo his candidacy. (If elected, all three of the municipal judges will have come from Milwaukee's black community). True or not, the best way to maintain faith in our democratic tradition that the "people decide" is to rule, as the City Election Commission did, that the late filing was a technicality and leave his name on the ballot.
If he is somehow kept off, I for one am going to write in his name.
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