Tight First District Race Is On

Jeffrey Kroll cited “brilliant” supporters for helping him to get his message to First Aldermanic District residents, earning him 411 votes and the top spot in a three-way primary race.

Jim Moldenhauer will be the second candidate for the First District seat in the April 3 general election, with 377 of the 935 votes cast in the first aldermanic district.

Robert Smith was eliminated, with 147 votes.

“We did well,” Kroll said while celebrating with supporters at Walters‘ on North. “I had great support from a lot of really brilliant, dedicated people, so, yeah, things worked very well.”

Moldenhauer said he had high expectations to be the top vote-getter in the primary, and said he will “have to do some restrategizing to try to be victorious on April 3.”

Kroll and Moldenhauer ran a tight primary race, and ended up separated by only 34 votes. Kroll secured 43.9 percent of the votes cast in the first aldermanic district, with Moldenhauer capturing 40.3 percent.

“Obviously, I have some work to do,” Moldenhauer said. “I appreciate the people who came out and supported me, and I will continue to try to garner better support here in District One and in Wauwatosa.

“I’m happy to be able to go at it with Jeff in the next go-around.“

Moldenhauer and Kroll, both new to the city’s political arena, said the are similar to those that must be tackled throughout the city. Those issues include stimulating business growth, preserving city services and quality of life and addressing tough financial issues at a time of flat growth while the city faces the urgent need for high-dollar sewer repairs.

Kroll said the coming weeks will include “focusing on just knocking on doors, trying to have personal interactions with the citizens in District One.”

“I have a great network of people,” Kroll said. “We are using our social networks to get the word out, and I have brilliant people helping me to devise strategies to go door to door and to do yard signs.”

“I’ve just been doing everything I can thing of to do,” Kroll said, “and, so far, it looks like it’s paying off.”