Sylvia Ortiz-Velez is an American

real estate broker Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

and Democratic politician from

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. She is a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, representing Wisconsin's 8th Assembly district since 2021. She previously served on the

Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the government of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Supervisors are elected to the board in nonpartisan elections. There are 18 supervisors. The county board has seve ...

from 2018 until 2022.

Early life and education

Sylvia Ortiz-Velez was born and raised in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. She earned a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and one of the two doctor ...

. She worked as a

for several years in Milwaukee before being elected to the County Board.

Political career

In 2012, Ortiz-Velez made her first attempt at election to the

, challenging four term incumbent supervisor Peggy A. West (then going by the name "Peggy Romo West"). West prevailed in the spring election with 55.71%. Ortiz-Velez challenged West again in 2018, however, and this time defeated her, taking 57% of the vote. Ortiz-Velez was one of several candidates to benefit from the support of then- County Executive

Chris Abele Christopher Seton Abele (born January 28, 1967) is an American businessman and Democratic Party politician. He served as the 6th Milwaukee County Executive from 2011 to 2020. Abele is the son of American businessman John Abele, the co-founder o ...

in his attempts to reshape the County Board in 2018. 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. In addition to her service on the County Board, Ortiz-Velez serves on the advisory board of the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS). In the spring 2020 election, incumbent Assemblymember JoCasta Zamarripa was elected to the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting progressive politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a stro ...

and announced she would not run for another term in the

. On April 14, 2020, Ortiz-Velez formally announced her candidacy for Zamarripa's assembly seat. In the primary, she faced JoAnna Bautch, the sister of outgoing Assemblymember JoCasta Zamarripa, and the Wisconsin Director of

Citizen Action Citizen Action was a national liberal consumer and public activist group that was active in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. State-level affiliates have continued on in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The affiliates of Citi ...

. In the primary, Ortiz-Velez supported expanding

BadgerCare BadgerCare Plus, known informally as BadgerCare, is a public healthcare coverage program for low-income Wisconsin residents created by former governor Tommy Thompson and modified by former governor Jim Doyle. The Wisconsin Department of Health Serv ...

(Wisconsin's

Medicaid Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

program) and legalization of

medical marijuana Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to Cannabis (drug), cannabis products and cannabinoid, cannabinoid molecules that are prescription drug, prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabi ...

. Despite trailing in the early in-person vote returns, Ortiz Velez narrowly won the primary, taking 53% of the vote after

absentee ballot Absentee or The Absentee may refer to: * Absentee (band), a British band * The Absentee, a novel by Maria Edgeworth, published in 1812 in ''Tales of Fashionable Life'' * ''The Absentee'' (1915 film), a 1915 American silent film directed by Christy ...

s were counted. Ortiz-Velez earned 78% of the vote in the

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

, defeating Republican Angel Sanchez.

Personal life and family

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

Electoral history

Milwaukee County Board (2012)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 3, 2012

Milwaukee County Board (2018)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 3, 2018

Wisconsin Assembly (2020)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Democratic Primary, August 11, 2020 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 3, 2020

References

External links

* *
Official bio
at Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Living people Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Wisconsin Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Year of birth missing (living people) Women state legislators in Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Politicians from Milwaukee 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature