D'AMATO WON'T RUN

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne

Ald. Michael S. D'Amato, the third district alderman since 1996, has told friends he will not run for a fourth term, milwaukeeworld has learned from multiple City Hall sources. Neither D'Amato or his aide and potential successor Sam McGovern-Rowen were available for immediate comment. However, McGovern-Rowen, grandson of former United States Senator and 1972 Democratic Presidential candidate George McGovern, only recently adopted the hyphenated style of his name. How recently? Well, he filed papers on November 21st to run for the Third District Seat now held by his boss, D'Amato.
D'Amato is the chair of both the powerful Judiciary and Legislation Committee and of the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee. His surprise decision makes him the first alderman to announce plans to not run in 2008. It opens the way for a free-for-all for the east side seat, where, in addition to McGovern-Rowen, at least five candidates -- Sura Faraj, Nik Kovac, John Connelly, Andrew Twist and Patrick Flaherty have already announced their plans to run, according to the City Election Commission. (Faraj has been knocking on doors along E. Kane Place, among other locations lately. Expect many others.) D'Amato, who has consistently filed his campaign reports electronically since this option was granted to candidates, took some heat recently in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for failing to include occupation information for 17 of the donors to his campaign committee, which has a balance of $146,993, according to the most recent report.
D'Amato submitted the missing information, giving the paper a chance over the holiday weekend to declare that he was the last alderman to finally do so. The paper on Sunday indicated D'Amato's action came after the City Election commission initiated a complaint against him with the City Attorney for failure to timely comply with a request to do so.
In retrospect, D'Amato's dilatory response should indicate he had already decided to leave the rigors of the legislative branch.
D'Amato had previously been mentioned as a possible candidate for County Executive, but he withdrew his name from speculation.
Even so, his will be a welcome face on the campaign trail as his $146,000 balance should make him a popular figure with other candidates who need to raise some cash during the upcoming election cycle.
While on the council, D'Amato was recognized for his chairmanship of the Zoning and Neighborhood Development committee, and his district was the centerpiece for Milwaukee's redevelopment during that time, sharing honors with the adjacent downtown-east side 4th district represented by first term Ald. Bob Bauman.
D'Amato's expertise on development issues created a sort of paranoia among political opponents who often claimed to have discovered never-documented improprieties in his actions. D'Amato always steadfastly denied these allegations, and even was forced to defend himself (successfully) in a federal civil RICO case brought by disgruntled developer Joseph Kaye. This case ended with Kaye getting spanked by the judge. (Google milwaukeeworld's archives for much more.)
D'Amato's future plans are unknown. However, Mayor Barrett has had a big vacancy in the Department of City Development since the departure of Joel Brennan to Discovery World, and perhaps he might call upon D'Amato to be the point person for city's Plan Commission and Redevelopment Authority, replacing Brennan, who previously served as executive secretary of these entities.
Milwaukeeworld will have more when there is more to report. Fair enough?
[Update -- Ald. D'Amato issued this statement shortly after the above post appeared. -- Ed.]

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