Born in 1963, Terrance Herron lived most of his life in Milwaukee. Early in his
career Herron was the Director of Community Outreach of Marquette University’s
Campus Circle Project. In 1993 he was elected county supervisor for the 2nd
District. He ran for alderman in the year 2000, while pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree
from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Herron’s short career as alderman
started with controversy. His opponent, Lenard Wells, charged that Herron lived
outside of the district he was running to represent. Herron overcame those
allegations to win the election in 2000.
Herron replaced then Common Council President John Kalwitz, who was leaving office
after 32 years in service. His election to the Common Council marked the highest
number of African American council members, with a total of 6, to date. He ran on a
platform of improving Capitol Court and police services while considering lifting
overnight parking restrictions. His work on the Council included chairing a task
force that looked at the budget and teen cruising problems. Herron was also the Vice
Chairman of the Utilities and Licenses Committee, which also granted him access into
the Board of Zoning Appeals Committee. Controversy followed the alderman again when
he became a very public advocate for the return of the death penalty after some
high-profile crimes happened in the City of Milwaukee. The alderman introduced an
initiative that called on the state legislature to pass a law allowing the death
penalty in murder cases where the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable and the
crime is of a heinous nature.
Herron was elected as a non-partisan official but joined the Republican Party
mid-2002. Having long been a Democrat, Herron believed that his views on school
choice, welfare reform, and responsible fiscal stewardship were closer to the GOP.
Others saw the move as personally motivated being that Herron soon moved to
Washington, D.C., where his wife lived. At that time the Republican Party held the
White House and half of Congress. In early 2003 Alderman Herron had resigned from
his position to take a job in the D.C. area where he could be closer to his
family.
