Daniel J. Bukiewicz
President of the Milwaukee Building Trades Council; mayor of Oak Creek
Democrat
Oak Creek
Elected Experience
Oak Creek mayor (2017-present), Oak Creek City Council (2010-2018)
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
I didn't start in a boardroom. I started on a jobsite as an apprentice electrician in Milwaukee. I have spent my career fighting for working families at the bargaining table and in public office, and I know what it means to live the struggles our neighbors face every day. As mayor of Oak Creek I have delivered real results for businesses and families for 18 years. I am the only candidate in this race with local government experience, and the only one who has truly lived the working class story of the voters I am asking to represent. I will be a champion for working families in Madison, not a rubber stamp for special interests.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
The cost of living is crushing working families in the 21st Assembly District. Groceries, rent, healthcare and everyday expenses keep rising while paychecks struggle to keep up. I will fight to raise Wisconsin's minimum wage to $20 an hour, expand BadgerCare and create a public option so no one has to choose between rent and a doctor. I will also fight to fully fund our public schools so local communities are not forced to make up the difference through property tax increases. When the state meets its obligation to fund education, families and homeowners win. These are common sense solutions that put working families first.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
Wisconsin government needs to stop working for corporations and special interests and start working for the people who built this state. For too long, working families have been ignored while those at the top write the rules. That has to change. Government should be a tool for lifting people up, not holding them down. That means fully funding our public schools, expanding access to affordable healthcare, raising wages and investing in the communities that need it most. I have spent my entire career as a servant leader, fighting for working families at the bargaining table and in city hall. That is exactly the kind of leadership I will bring to Madison.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
My favorite Wisconsin history fact is one most people don't know: Milwaukee is the birthplace of the typewriter. The first commercially successful typewriter was produced right here in 1873. Milwaukee has always been a city of workers, builders, innovators, and others who make things with their hands. That spirit is alive and well today, and it is exactly what I am fighting to preserve as your representative in Madison.