Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson replaces elections chief Claire Woodall

Mayor Cavalier Johnson is replacing Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall with her deputy, Paulina Gutiérrez, a change that comes just six months before the November presidential election in which all eyes are expected to be on Milwaukee.

Gutiérrez's nomination will require Common Council approval.

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"Change, especially when it is unexpected, can often be unsettling," Gutiérrez wrote in a Sunday evening email to city staff. "The experience of changing leadership is demanding and uncertain as we navigate uncharted waters and relearn to collaborate and communicate as an organization."

Gutiérrez wrote that she "is building a network of people with experience in elections to support our efforts in this upcoming critical election year. ... The Mayor has assured me that we will be provided with the appropriate resources as we move into the fall to ensure our success."

Gutierrez was appointed deputy director in early 2023, after the 2022 midterm election.

In a statement, Johnson's administration said Gutiérrez had held management positions at the state and local levels.

“Paulina’s integrity and capabilities are ideally suited to this position.  She will lead the office at an important juncture when public scrutiny of the work of the department will be extremely high,” Johnson said in the statement. “I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.”

The statement did not acknowledge Woodall or explain her next steps.

The mayor's spokesman said Gutiérrez is now in charge of the election commission.

In comments to WISN-TV's Matt Smith, Johnson denied that Woodall was fired and said she had been offered a different position that she does not plan to take "as it stands right now." He attributed the timing to the cabinet appointments that follow mayoral elections. Johnson was elected to a full, four-year term on April 2.

"It's more of a personnel matter as opposed to a matter of her technical ability to do her job," Johnson told Smith.

Asked whether Woodall had been accused of any wrongdoing, Johnson said, "not if you're insinuating actions similar to her former deputy Kimberly Zapata." Zapata was fined and ordered to serve probation on Thursday for ordering three military absentee ballots under fake names ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

As to any other wrongdoing, Johnson said: "I'm not going to go into some of the personnel decisions."

Johnson's spokesman said the mayor was not available for an interview with the Journal Sentinel Monday.

Woodall was appointed to the position in 2020 by then-Mayor Tom Barrett. By that point, she had worked at the Election Commission since 2013, except for a period when she went to work as the City of Cedarburg city clerk in June 2019, according to her resume.

At the Election Commission, she held the positions of election services administrator from February 2013 until May 2019 and then business systems administrator starting in February 2020.

Woodall led the commission through the challenges of 2020 and the years to come. Those included the closely watched presidential election in which Democrat Joe Biden unseated then-President Donald Trump and the subsequent recount ― both of which took place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Woodall also endured threats. She testified at Zapata's trial that one of them, handwritten and delivered to her home, caused her to leave the state. Direct threats, including one that said Woodall and her staff should be put in front of a firing squad, were investigated by the FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department, she testified.

Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected]. Mary Spicuzza can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee mayor replaces city elections chief Claire Woodall