Race for Milwaukee mayor heats up

MILWAUKEE -- One of the big local races is turning out to be the election for Milwaukee mayor. The incumbent, Tom Barrett, recently announced he plans to run for governor as well as mayor.

"It was a surprise to me initially when people in the city said 'we want you to run for governor,' because I'm happy being mayor. It's a unique nature of this, we have a governor in Madison who ran on one platform and changed to another," Barrett said.

Challenging Barrett in the race, but supporting him for governor, is candidate Ed McDonald. "I think what Barrett has done is inform the people of Milwaukee he no longer wants to be mayor of Milwaukee, and they have a very capable candidate in Ed McDonald," McDonald said Monday.

The political scene in Milwaukee could get much more complicated. If Barrett is re-elected as mayor and goes on to become governor, the Common Council president would become acting mayor. Right now, that's Willie Hines. Hines is in a race against County Supervisor Eyon Biddle and first has to be re-elected as alderman. Then as governor, Tom Barrett would have to call a special election to fill the mayor's spot.