MILWAUKEE -- The race for Milwaukee's 6th Aldermanic District is down to the niece of a Wisconsin state senator and an incumbent who is fighting for his seat, and his freedom, from jail.

Alderman Michael McGee Jr. placed first in Tuesday's primary, winning 31 percent of the vote. Challenger Milele Coggs, an attorney and the niece of Sen. Spencer Coggs, garnered 22 percent of the vote. Both advance to the general election on April 1.

McGee is scheduled to go on trial during the first week of March on charges he conspired with two other men to have a teenager beaten.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee government professor Mordecai Lee said the fact that McGee won, despite being in jail, shouldn't be a huge surprise.

"I guess what happened yesterday is a combination that some people like him and met him, some people are sympathetic for him and some people recognize his name and the Coggs name, and when you put it all together, it's a winning coalition," Lee said.

Lee said the excitement of the presidential race likely helped with the high voter turnout and said that it's possible fewer people will go to the polls for the general election. According to election officials, about 37 percent of eligible voters, or roughly 1.5 million people, voted in Tuesday's presidential primary.

Community activist Lamont Harris, who also helped to run McGee's campaign, said 650 absentee ballots supporting the alderman were gathered in the days leading up to the primary. He said that McGee has been challenged in the past and said he's confident McGee will prevail and retain his seat on the Milwaukee Common Council.

"The judge told Mike he wasn't going to get new lawyers. He got new lawyers. Everybody thought he wasn't going to win this primary and he won this primary, so we continue to see the effort a faith people have, and it continues to grow," Harris said.

McGee's 31 percent of the vote isn't a majority, which means support for him will be tested in April. Still, many in his district said the proof lies in the numbers.

"Everybody deserves a fair chance. He's still the alderman and the community loves him," one voter said.

Some constituents also said the courtroom images of a jailed McGee are mired in racism and negative, unfair talk.

"Some people like to talk. Most of them talk and have no idea of what they are talking about," George Blackmon, who lives in the 6th District, said.

Voter Jermain Perkins said that whomever gets the vote, getting results goes beyond the candidates.

"You just hope for the best. Maybe someone will come in and shape things up and get this community on track," Perkins said.

Coggs, a member of another long-time Milwaukee political family, asserts that she's that candidate and downplayed her adversary's legal troubles.

"My focus is on the district and trying to meet those needs and presenting a package that they have to choose," Coggs said, adding that there is "no candidate that will outwork" her.

If McGee wins the general election and is subsequently found guilty of the felony charges against him, he would be removed from office and another election for the seat would need to be held.