Waukesha’s next mayoral showdown is set, and it is a heavyweight bout between two names voters already know well: state Rep. Scott Allen and Common Council President Alicia Halvensleben. On April 7, residents will decide who takes the city’s top job, in a race that is zeroing in on money, endorsements and how Waukesha should grow after years of planning and water negotiations.
The April 7 Spring Election ballot lists Scott Allen and Alicia Halvensleben as the two candidates for mayor, according to Waukesha County. Voters across the city will pick a single winner to succeed the outgoing mayor, in a one-seat race that has already drawn attention from county and state officials.
Allen’s pitch: fiscal first
Scott Allen is leaning hard on his decade in the State Assembly and his private-sector background as a business owner and realtor, as outlined on his campaign site, Allen For Wisconsin. He has been sounding alarms about the city’s bottom line, saying the city’s financial management plan shows a projected multimillion-dollar shortfall, and has lined up endorsements from county leaders, according to reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Halvensleben’s pitch: local experience
Alicia Halvensleben is in her second term as an alderwoman and served as Common Council president in 2024 and 2025, according to her campaign website, Alicia Halvensleben for Waukesha Mayor. In recent interviews she has stressed consensus building and data-driven decision making. “Good leadership brings people together and makes decisions rooted in data and human impact,” she said, a line reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which also noted local endorsements backing her campaign.
What voters will weigh: water, growth and the budget
Waukesha’s recent water deal and the limits on expanding service under the Great Lakes Compact are the backdrop for nearly every argument in the race. The city’s move to tap Milwaukee water reshaped planning and revenue expectations, according to Urban Milwaukee and the city’s planning documents. Those constraints, combined with rising service costs and maintenance needs, are what both campaigns point to when they talk taxes, development and long-range budgeting.
In the final stretch, expect the airwaves and local forums to be filled with dueling endorsements, competing budget road maps and the question of who can steer a largely built-out city without blowing up the books. For the official candidate list and local contest details, see Waukesha County, and for voting hours and absentee options visit the City of Waukesha election pages.
