Sylvia Ortiz-Velez
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 8th district
Assumed office
January 4, 2021
Preceded byJoCasta Zamarripa
Member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from the 12th district
In office
April 2018 – April 2022
Preceded byPeggy A. West
Succeeded byJuan Miguel Martinez
Personal details
BornMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (BA)
Occupationpolitician, real estate agent
Website

Sylvia Ortiz-Velez is an American politician and real estate broker. A Democrat, she is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from assembly district 8. She was elected to her first term in November 2020. Ortiz-Velez was also a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, serving from 2018 until 2022.

Early life and education

Sylvia Ortiz-Velez was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.[2] She worked as a real estate broker for several years in Milwaukee before being elected to the County Board.[2]

Political career

In 2012, Ortiz-Velez made her first attempt at election to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, challenging four term incumbent supervisor Peggy A. West (then going by the name "Peggy Romo West").[3] West prevailed in the spring election with 55.71%.[4] Ortiz-Velez challenged West again in 2018, however, and this time defeated her, taking 57% of the vote.[5][6] Ortiz-Velez was one of several candidates to benefit from the support of then-County Executive Chris Abele in his attempts to reshape the County Board in 2018.[7][8] She was re-elected without opposition in April 2020.

During her time on the County Board, she was a member of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, the Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee, and the Transportation, Public Works and Transit Committee. She was also a member of the Mitchell Park Domes Task Force, tasked with developing a long-term plan for the 50-year-old nature conservatory—Ortiz-Velez committed to preserving the domes for future generations in her campaign platform.[2] In addition to her service on the County Board, Ortiz-Velez serves on the advisory board of the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS).[2]

In the spring 2020 election, incumbent Assemblymember JoCasta Zamarripa was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council and announced she would not run for another term in the Wisconsin State Assembly. On April 14, 2020, Ortiz-Velez formally announced her candidacy for Zamarripa's assembly seat.[9] In the primary, she faced JoAnna Bautch, the sister of outgoing Assemblymember JoCasta Zamarripa, and the Wisconsin Director of Citizen Action.[10][11] In the primary, Ortiz-Velez supported expanding BadgerCare (Wisconsin's Medicaid program) and legalization of medical marijuana.[11] Despite trailing in the early in-person vote returns, Ortiz Velez narrowly won the primary, taking 53% of the vote after absentee ballots were counted.[12] Ortiz-Velez earned 78% of the vote in the general election, defeating Republican Angel Sanchez.[13]

Personal life and family

Ortiz-Velez is the daughter of a former evangelical minister; she has seven siblings.

Electoral history

Milwaukee County Board (2012)

Milwaukee County Board, 12th District Election, 2012[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 3, 2012
Nonpartisan Peggy Romo West (incumbent) 1,278 55.71%
Nonpartisan Sylvia Ortiz 1,003 43.72%
Scattering 13 0.57%
Plurality 275 11.99%
Total votes 2,294 100.0%

Milwaukee County Board (2018)

Milwaukee County Board, 12th District Election, 2018[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 3, 2018
Nonpartisan Sylvia Ortiz-Velez 815 57.11%
Nonpartisan Peggy A. West (incumbent) 602 42.19%
Scattering 10 0.70%
Plurality 213 14.93%
Total votes 1,427 100.0%

Wisconsin Assembly (2020)

Wisconsin Assembly, 8th District Election, 2020[15][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, August 11, 2020
Democratic Sylvia Ortiz-Velez 901 53.06%
Democratic JoAnna Bautch 793 46.70%
Scattering 4 0.24%
Plurality 108 6.36%
Total votes 1,698 100.0%
General Election, November 3, 2020
Democratic Sylvia Ortiz-Velez 8,914 78.70% -3.00%
Republican Angel C. Sanchez 2,375 20.97% +2.83%
Scattering 37 0.33%
Plurality 6,539 57.73% -5.83%
Total votes 11,326 100.0% +25.32%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "About Sylvia". Sylvia Ortiz-Velez for State Assembly. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez". Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  3. ↑ Schultze, Steve (February 10, 2012). "Romo West faulted for tweeting and Facebooking". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  4. 1 2 4-3-12 County Board Supervisor, District 12 (Report). Milwaukee County Election Commission. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  5. ↑ Behm, Don (March 26, 2018). "Seven Milwaukee County Board supervisor seats contested in April 3 spring election". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  6. ↑ Maternowski, Michelle (April 3, 2018). "Spring Election Results: Milwaukee County Supervisors". WUWM. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ Bice, Daniel (February 6, 2018). "Bice: Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele spending big money to target county supervisors in election". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ Behm, Don (April 3, 2018). "Chris Abele's flood of cash failed to oust Lipscomb but pushed out two other critics". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, announces candidacy to be next 8th District State Assembly Representative". Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (Press release). April 14, 2020 – via Urban Milwaukee.
  10. ↑ Jannene, Jeramey (August 12, 2020). "Nine Election Takeaways". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Andrea, Lawrence (August 4, 2020). "Two Democrats and two Republicans vie to replace JoCasta Zamarripa in the Assembly". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Cabrera beats back primary challenge". Wispolitics.com. August 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 9. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ Summary Statement of the Board of Canvassers (PDF) (Report). Milwaukee County Election Commission. April 12, 2018. p. 2. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  15. ↑ Canvass Results for 2020 Partisan Primary - 8/11/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 15. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
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