Candidates make final pitch to voters hours before spring election

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The spring election is just hours away. How have the candidates and their supporters spent these final hours?

We went from the city to the suburbs, talking to candidates and supporters of various referendums. They've got one thing in common -- they're all encouraging you and I to get out there and vote.

"If you haven't voted already, please vote," said Noah Leigh, West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board president.

West Allis-West Milwaukee's asking voters to approve a $150 million referendum to merge two high schools into a new one. The school board president handed out information and met voters at the Rec Center in these final hours. 

In New Berlin, Janet Schulz was going door-to-door. Schulz is hoping to get re-elected to the school board.

"I have some information about the candidates, so I actually have two other candidates running with me," Schulz said to one homeowner as she campaigned door-to-door Monday evening.

Other school boards with hotly-contested races include Cedarburg, Kenosha, Mequon-Thiensville, Pewaukee, Waukesha and Menomonee Falls. In Glendale, Nicolet High School has a $77 million referendum on the ballot.

"We really feel passionately that the school deserves additional funding in order to upgrade systems," said Erik Kakulis of the Nicolet High School Performing Arts Committee.

Other school districts with referendums include Cedar Grove-Belgium, Fox Point-Bayside, Hartford, Muskego-Norway, Raymond, Salem, Trevor-Wilmot, Waterford and Wheatland-Brighton-Randal-Salem.

But perhaps the biggest question Tuesday -- who will take over as Milwaukee mayor?

On this day before the election, Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson spent the day working the phones from his campaign office.

"I'm calling voters directly, who are undecided in the race, and convince them to vote our way," said Acting Mayor Johnson.

His opponent, former alderman Bob Donovan, was doing much of the same.

"We had a big turnout of volunteers last weekend -- outside grocery stores too, handing out literature," said Donovan. "I've been out. I'm just heading to the north side shortly to do a neighborhood walk with some folks. So I'm excited about this opportunity."

These are historic times in Milwaukee. This will be the first time in 18 years the city has had a new mayor.