About JoCasta
JoCasta Zamarripa is running to be reelected as Milwaukee’s 8th District alderwoman to ensure that every Milwaukeean has a voice and a seat at the table.
Alderwoman Zamarripa currently represents the near south side of Milwaukee in the Common Council and represented in the State Assembly for a decade, and was born and raised in the neighborhood. JoCasta is the oldest of her four siblings, raised by a single mom. Her grandmother, Alicia, was a migrant farm worker from Eagle Pass, Texas, who moved her family to Wisconsin because she believed there were better economic opportunities for her and her family in the dairy state.
JoCasta was the first Latina elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature, and in 2012, as she was launching her first re-election campaign, she came out as an openly bisexual member of the LGBT community. She then became the first Latina and LGBT member of the Common Council.
During her time in the Assembly, JoCasta has been a leader supporting pro-immigrant policy at the state level. She has championed getting drivers’ cards for undocumented Wisconsinites to make roads safer for everyone, led the fight for tuition equity for Wisconsin dreamers, and fought against bills that would turn our community’s police officers into immigration agents. She has also been a strong advocate for public schools, challenging the voucher program, and prioritizing quality, affordable healthcare for all, pushing for higher wages and fair taxes, a clean and safe environment, and ensuring our democracy works for all.
JoCasta’s first job was a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel paper route in the 8th aldermanic district. Later in life, she went on to work for both Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and as an organizer Fair Wisconsin. She also served as a board member for 9 to 5 - National Association of Working Women. She has always been a champion of equality and knows the importance of being a strong role model.
JoCasta graduated from St. Joan Antida High School and is the first in her family to graduate from college, receiving her BFA from UW-Milwaukee in 2005.
Why I’m Running
The voters of the 8th District deserve an Alderwoman who will understand our needs and our issues, and who will always listen. I was born and raised on Milwaukee’s near south side and I’ve lived here at every stage of my life. I’ll be an Alderwoman who will fight every day to make sure every voice in this district is heard.
Milwaukee has a profound need for leadership at this critical juncture, and I'm part of a new generation, moving our city forward in a positive, inclusive way. If Wisconsin is going to succeed, it needs a strong, vibrant Milwaukee at its heart. We need to address crime and economic inequality. We need to ensure city services are working for all of us, including snow plowing, garbage & recycling pickup, and road maintenance.
And we need leadership to attract new businesses to the south side and southwest side. We need a vision of how our neighborhoods can remain affordable for those who’ve been here a long time, while also attractive to new residents looking for a new home.
We know this district is rapidly changing, much in the same way that Milwaukee is changing, and I’m running to ensure that every Milwaukeean has a voice and a seat at the table.