Tom Barrett | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2022 | |
| United States Ambassador to Luxembourg | |
| In office February 10, 2022 – January 17, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Randy Evans |
| Succeeded by | Stacey Feinberg |
| 44thMayor of Milwaukee | |
| In office April 19, 2004 – December 22, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Marvin Pratt (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Cavalier Johnson |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's5th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Moody |
| Succeeded by | Jim Sensenbrenner |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the5th district | |
| In office December 13, 1989 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Mordecai Lee |
| Succeeded by | Peggy Rosenzweig |
| Member of theWisconsin State Assembly | |
| In office April 5, 1984 – December 13, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas W. Meaux |
| Succeeded by | David Cullen |
| Constituency | 9th district (1984–1985) 14th district (1985–1989) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Mark Barrett (1953-12-08)December 8, 1953 (age 72) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kris Barrett |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA,JD) |
Thomas Mark Barrett (born December 8, 1953) is an American diplomat and politician who served as theUnited States ambassador to Luxembourg from 2022 to 2025. He previously served as the44th mayor ofMilwaukee,Wisconsin from2004 until 2021.[1]
A member of theDemocratic Party, he was previously elected to theWisconsin State Assembly (1984–1989),Wisconsin Senate (1989–1993) andU.S. House of Representatives (1993–2003). On April 6, 2004, Milwaukee elected Tom Barrett as its 40th mayor. He won reelection as mayor in2008,2012,2016 and2020.[2][3] After having unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin in2002, Barrett was the party's nominee for governor in both2010 and2012, losing both elections toScott Walker. When he left office as mayor, Barrett was thelongest-serving current mayor of one of the 50 largest cities in the United States.
Barrett is the oldest son of Gertrude Virginia (of German and English descent) and Thomas J. Barrett (ofIrish descent). His father was a World War II veteran who was awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross in 1944 for 30 missions overGermany as a navigator. His mother was a war widow when she met his father at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison. They married and moved to Milwaukee, where Barrett was born.[4] He grew up on the city'swest side.[5]
Barrett graduated fromMarquette University High School;[6] he went on to earn hisBachelor of Arts in economics from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison in 1976 and hisJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Wisconsin Law School in 1980. He helped put himself through college and law school by working on theHarley-Davidson assembly line. After law school, Barrett served as a law clerk for JudgeRobert W. Warren on theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin from 1980 to 1982. He later entered intoprivate practice and served as a bank examiner for theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation.[7]
Barrett made his first run for office at the age of 28 for theWisconsin State Assembly in 1982, but was unsuccessful. He ran again in 1984, this time successfully;[8] he served two terms before making a successful run for theWisconsin Senate in a December 1989 special election.[9][10] He continued to serve in the Wisconsin Senate until moving to higher office in 1993.[11]
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In 1992, after U.S. RepresentativeJim Moody announced his intention to run for theUnited States Senate, Barrett successfully ran to succeed him. Barrett was reelected four more times to representWisconsin's 5th congressional district,[12] which at the time included the northern half of the City of Milwaukee and some adjoining suburban municipalities. While in Congress, Barrett served on theCommittee on Energy and Commerce, as well as theGovernment Reform Committee,Financial Services Committee,Ways and Means Committee and theHouse Administration Committee.[13]
As a U.S. Representative, Barrett worked with his colleagues to secure aid for flood remediation projects in his district. He also worked to modernize theCommunity Reinvestment Act and frequently voiced his support of Milwaukee'sMidwest Express Airlines.[14] Barrett sponsored 37 bills and co-sponsored 1345 bills between January 5, 1993, and October 10, 2002.[15] He was a delegate to the2000 Democratic National Convention fromWisconsin.[16]
In2004, Barrett ran successfully formayor of Milwaukee, defeating incumbent Acting MayorMarvin Pratt, who took office following the resignation ofJohn Norquist. Barrett was reelected in2008 with 79% of the vote, the largest percentage a mayoral candidate had received in 40 years.[17] In2012 he was subsequently reelected against challenger Edward McDonald with over 70% of the vote.[18] In2016, Barrett was reelected with 70% of the vote over conservative 8th district alderman Robert Donovan.[19] In2020, Barrett was reelected to a fifth term with over 62% of the vote againstLena Taylor.[20]
During Barrett's tenure, the city has seen billions of dollars' worth of new downtown developments.[21] Barrett made great use ofsubsidies andtax incremental financing for developments.[22] Barrett focused heavily on downtown development. In the later period of his mayoralty, the city saw its largest construction boom since the 1960s.[23] The city's downtown experienced a major construction boom that included several newskyscrapers, such as theNorthwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.[24]
In 2018, Barrett announced a plan to construct 10,000 units of affordable housing in the city. The plan included an expansion of the use of tax-incremental financing districts.[25]
Barrett made an effort to revive struggling areas of the city by encouraging businesses to relocate to areas near lower-income neighborhoods.[23]
On February 25, 2009, Barrett gave hisState of the City Address. Where he praised the city's past achievements and outlined his plan to increasegreen jobs, economic development and workforce training in the coming year. Barrett called on the citizens of Milwaukee to remain optimistic during the international economic downturn; "I am fully confident that Milwaukee will withstand the current economic downturn," Barrett said. "We will make smart investments, continue to build strong partnerships, provide training to our workforce and improve our public schools. We will emerge as a stronger and more competitive city."[26] Barrett met withVice President of the United StatesJoe Biden and testified before theUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment when he traveled toWashington, D.C., on March 18, 2009. Barrett attended aWhite HouseRecovery and Reinvestment Act Implementation Conference hosted by Biden. The conference addressed questions from state, county, and local government officials on how to effectively oversee the spending of Recovery Act funds.[26]
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Mayor Barrett enacted his vision for a greener Milwaukee through the formation of Milwaukee's Green Team the establishment ofMilwaukee's Office of Sustainability. The Office of Sustainability promotes cost-effective environmental sustainability practices that meet Milwaukee's urgent environmental, economic and social needs while enhancing long-term economic growth. He is also one of the region's greatest champions for the Great Lakes and previously served as Co-Chair of theGreat Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a binational organization of mayors and other local officials that works actively to advance the protection and restoration of theGreat Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
During theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Barrett took a number of actions. On March 23, 2020, citing concerns of theongoing coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Barrett sent a letter to GovernorTony Evers, State Senate Majority LeaderScott L. Fitzgerald and Speaker of the State HouseRobin Vos, requesting that the April 7 elections (including the mayoral election, as well as Wisconsin's presidential primaries and others races) be conducted using mail-in ballots only.[27] Barrett lent his backing to a proposal authored by the Department of City Development under whichbusiness improvement districts would be allowed to spend money on assisting companies and property owners hurt by the pandemic without needing Common Council approval.[28] Barrett lobbied theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers to establish a care facility at theWisconsin State Fair Park.[29]
In April 2009,Wisconsin GovernorJim Doyle and Mayor Tom Barrett, joined bySuperintendent of Public Instruction of WisconsinElizabeth Burmaster, announced a broad effort improve theMilwaukee Public Schools (MPS). The announcement followed the completion of a comprehensive independent review of the finances and non-instructional operations of MPS commissioned by the governor and mayor in October 2008.[30]
In 2013, he was one of nine mayors who established July 15 asSocial Media Giving Day, encouraging citizens to support charities via social media.[31]
Barrett was an advocate for the construction ofThe Hopstreetcar system.[32]
Mayor Barrett was involved in Milwaukee's successful bid to host the2020 Democratic National Convention.[33] Before he left the mayor's office, Barrett started the city's bid for the2024 Republican National Convention.[34] Milwaukee's bid was successful.[35]
On August 25, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden announced his intent to nominate Barrett to serve as theUnited States Ambassador to Luxembourg.[36][37] Hearings on his nomination were held before theSenate Foreign Relations Committee on November 2, 2021. The committee favorably reported the nomination on December 15, 2021. TheUnited States Senate confirmed him on December 16, 2021, byvoice vote.[38] He was sworn in by JudgeLynn Adelman in Milwaukee on December 23, 2021, and arrived in Luxembourg on January 28, 2022.[39] On February 10, 2022, he presented his credentials to theGrand Duke of Luxembourg at theGrand Ducal Palace inLuxembourg City.[40]
Barrett decided to run for governor in 2002 when he decided to leave Washington D.C. after nearly a decade of service in theU.S. House of Representatives. He did so as a means spend more time in Milwaukee and Wisconsin with his family. Additionally, Wisconsin had lost a seat after the 2000 Census, and the new map resulted in Barrett's district being merged with the4th district on the other side of Milwaukee, represented by fellow DemocratJerry Kleczka. While the merged district retained Kleczka's district number, it was geographically and demographically more Barrett's district. However, Barrett announced his candidacy for governor in 2001, effectively handing the merged 4th to Kleczka.[41]
In a heated Democratic primary, Barrett came in a close second to then-Attorney GeneralJim Doyle, who went on to win the general election.[42]
In August 2009, Doyle announced his decision to not seek reelection to a third term in 2010, leading many to believe Barrett would run for governor.[43] On August 25, a group named "Wisconsin for Tom Barrett" formed, encouraging Barrett to run.[44] On October 26, a website, TomForGovernor.com, was launched afterBarbara Lawton, theLieutenant Governor, backed out.[45] A story inPolitico reported that PresidentBarack Obama's political directorPatrick Gaspard met with Barrett on November 4, 2009, amid speculation that theWhite House wanted him to run for Governor of Wisconsin.[46]
Barrett ended months of speculation by officially announcing on November 15, 2009, that he would enter the race for governor.[47] Barrett's campaign raised more than $750,000 in its first seven weeks. In an e-mail thanking supporters, Barrett said his campaign had more than $1.5 million in the bank, a significant start given that he did not declare candidacy for the Democratic primary until November 15, 2009.[48] Barrett ultimately lost the election toScott Walker.[49]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Walker | 1,128,941 | 52.3 | |
| Democratic | Tom Barrett | 1,004,303 | 46.5 | |
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After the contentious collective bargaining dispute,[51] Walker's disapproval ratings varied between 50 and 51%, while his approval ratings varied between 47 and 49% in 2011.[52][53] In a survey of 768 Wisconsin voters conducted between February 24–27, 2011, during the2011 Wisconsin budget protests, a poll byPublic Policy Polling found that 52% of respondents said they would vote for Barrett if the election had been held then, while 45% said they would vote for Walker.[54][55] Wisconsin law made Walker eligible for recall beginning January 3, 2012, and theWisconsin Democratic Party had called it a "priority" to remove him from office, although the signatures on the petitions were not verified.
Barrett ended months of speculation by officially announcing on March 30, 2012, that he would enter the race for governor.[56] TheAmerican Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and theWisconsin Education Association Council, which already supported another Democrat who had announced, had met with Barrett in late December 2011 and tried unsuccessfully to keep him from entering the race.[57] On May 8, Barrett won the Democratic primary for the recall election.[58]
A Marquette Law School Poll released on May 30 (mirroring other polling outlets) had Barrett trailing Walker 52% to 45% among likely voters. The results represent a six-point increase for Walker over Barrett since Marquette's earlier poll in late April. The poll's margin of error for likely voters was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.[59] Odysseas, a contributor to the progressive blog Daily Kos, had questioned if the Marquette University Law school poll oversampled "right wingers." For example, a poll by Public Policy Polling conducted May 11–13 gave Republicans a 7% edge over Democrats in terms of likely voters, unlikely given Wisconsin voter registration patterns. However, in retrospect the Marquette poll accurately reflected the Wisconsin electorate's vote.[60][61] However, the same poll showed President Obama holding a lead over Mitt Romney 51–43. On May 21, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel endorsed Scott Walker over Barrett arguing "[there is] no reason to remove Walker from office." The Journal-Sentinel had previously endorsed Walker over Barrett in 2010.[62] Walker defeated Barrett in the June 5 recall election by garnering 53.2%-46.3%,[63] a similar margin to the 2010 election. Walker thus became the first governor in US history to survive a recall election.[58]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Walker (incumbent) | 1,335,585 | 53.08% | −0.79% | |
| Democratic | Tom Barrett | 1,164,480 | 46.28% | −0.24% | |
| Independent | Hariprasad Trivedi | 14,463 | 0.57% | N/A | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 1,537 | 0.06% | +0.06% | |
| Total votes | 2,516,065 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Barrett and his wife still live in Milwaukee'sWashington Heights neighborhood, blocks away from his childhood home, where they raised their four, now adult, children Tommy, Annie, Erin and Kate, who all attended Milwaukee German Immersion School.[5]
Barrett was the subject of national news headlines when he was attacked outside theWisconsin State Fair on August 15, 2009, by a man wielding a pipe. Barrett and some family members were leaving the fair when he responded to a woman's cries for help. They encountered a man and a woman in a heated confrontation. While the mayor called the police, the man, 20-year-old Anthony J. Peters, attacked him with a pipe. Barrett was hospitalized after the incident and again later forreconstructive surgery for his hand.[65] GovernorJim Doyle visited Barrett in the hospital the next morning and said he "found him to be in good spirits and looking good considering what happened... The mayor's heroic actions clearly saved a woman and others from harm", Doyle said in a statement. Peters was arrested the next day.[65] Both PresidentBarack Obama and Vice PresidentJoe Biden telephoned Barrett in the hospital to inquire as to his condition; Obama told Barrett that he went above the call of duty and said he was proud of Barrett's actions. Barrett's injuries included broken teeth, a permanently damaged hand, as well as blows to the head where he was struck with the pipe.[66] Peters pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a further 10 years of supervision.[67]
| Year | Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Tom Barrett | Democratic | 57% | Donalda Ann Hammersmith | Republican | 43% | |||
| 1994 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 58% | Stephen Hollingshead | Republican | 42% | |||
| 1996 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 67% | Paul D. Melotik | Republican | 33% | |||
| 1998 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 73% | Jack Melvin | Republican | 27% | |||
| 2000 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 72% | Johnathan Smith | Republican | 28% | |||
| Milwaukee Mayoral Election (General Election) | |||||||||
| Year | Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Tom Barrett | Democratic | 54% | Marvin Pratt | Democratic | 46% | |||
| 2008 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 79% | Andrew Shaw | Independent | 20% | |||
| 2012 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 70% | Edward C. McDonald | Independent | 29% | |||
| 2016 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 70% | Robert Donovan | Republican | 30% | |||
| 2020 | Tom Barrett (inc.) | Democratic | 63% | Lena Taylor | Democratic | 37% | |||
| 2002 Wisconsin gubernatorial election (Democratic primary) | |||||||||
| Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Doyle | Democratic | 38% | Tom Barrett | Democratic | 34% | Kathleen Falk | Democratic | 27% | |
2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election (Democratic primary)[69] | |||||||||
| Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Barrett | Democratic | 91% | Tim John | Democratic | 10% | ||||
| 2010 Wisconsin gubernatorial election (general election) | |||||||||
| Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Walker | Republican | 52% | Tom Barrett | Democratic | 47% | ||||
| 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election (Democratic primary) | |||||||||
| Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Barrett | Democratic | 58% | Kathleen Falk | Democratic | 34% | ||||
| 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election (general election) | |||||||||
| Winning candidate | Party | Pct | Opponent | Party | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Walker (inc.) | Republican | 53% | Tom Barrett | Democratic | 46% | ||||
Media related toTom Barrett (politician) at Wikimedia Commons
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's 5th congressional district 1993–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Marvin Pratt Acting | Mayor of Milwaukee 2004–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Wisconsin 2010,2012 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Luxembourg 2022–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | |
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| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | |
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