Willie Hines wins 15th District aldermanic seat over Eyon Biddle



MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines faced County Supervisor Eyon Biddle in the 15th Aldermanic District in Milwaukee. Hines has served on the Common Council for years, while Biddle is a relative newcomer to the Milwaukee County Board.

Hines declared victory Tuesday night, April 3rd and will go on to serve his fifth-consecutive term as Milwaukee's 15th District Alderman.

Supporters came out to celebrate Hines' win Tuesday night. Now that the aldermanic re-election is behind him, Hines says he will campaign for the Common Council presidency once again.

Hines was first unanimously voted into the Common Council's lead role in 2004, and has served in the position since. "No cycle is the same. There are some issues that will carry over, and there's new issues that will arrive, but again, jobs, board ups, public safety, education," Hines said Tuesday night.

Supporters also came out Tuesday night for Biddle, who ran against Hines because he felt the Common Council president's leadership had become stagnant. Now having lost the race Tuesday night, Biddle's time in public service is ending, at least for now. "It's been a hard-fought campaign. I'm relieved that it's over, but ultimately it was the right thing to do because we just need new leadership," Biddle said Tuesday night.

Next up for Hines is the pursuit of holding his Common Council presidency further down the road, and very hypothetical at this point - if Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett were to become governor, the sitting Common Council president would become acting mayor. A new mayoral race would then take place, and if an alderman won that race, a seat would open up on the Common Council.