RACE ALERT-- This Coming Tuesday Chris Larson Is Up For Milwaukee County Executive

I met Wisconsin state Senator Chris Larson through People for the American Way, when he was one of their most active members of Young Elected Officials. As you may know Blue America has endorsed him in the current race for Milwaukee County Executive, an office that has often led directly to Wisconsin's governorship. I was thrilled yesterday when Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way, told me that PFAW had endorsed Larson as well. He agreed to write a guest post explaining why. Please give it a read and please consider contributing to Chris' field campaign by clicking on the thermometer below. And by the way, that video up top is absolutely amazing. It isn't like other campaign videos. But what would you expect... Chris isn't like most other people running for office. Chris is part of the future of Milwaukee County, of Wisconsin and of the United States. Southeast Wisconsin progressive legend, Randy IronStache Bryce: "The first time I met Chris was when he stood up to Scott Walker and did everything he could to keep Act 10 from passing. He hasn't stopped standing up for working people since that day. He has the experience we need to get the job done."

Milwaukee is often called one of the country's most segregated cities and is infamously the setting for Matthew Desmond's book Evicted. Larson has promised to address systemic racism by treating racism as the public health crisis it is and centering the voices of all those who have been marginalized in every decision as County Executive. Specifically, he's promised to end family homelessness in his first term, increase mediation services for landlords and tenants as an incentive not to evict so readily, and increase affordable housing. In addition to addressing housing through the lens of racism, Larson has promised to secure dedicated funding for transit (Milwaukee is one of few peer cities that doesn't have it), and ensure bus routes are dismantling, not furthering segregation. Under the Larson Administration, Milwaukee will refuse to deputize local law enforcement agents as ICE agents, fight mass incarceration and ensure all publications that the County puts out represent and celebrate our diverse community.

Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson Leads The Pack In Key Primary Race
by Michael Keegan

In October 2019, Democratic Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced that he would not seek a third term in office in 2020. Since then, four candidates have stepped up in the nonpartisan primary to fill Abele’s open seat-- and among them, one clearly stands out.

Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson, a lifelong Wisconsinite with twelve years of public service, is running to make sure that the people of Milwaukee County have a leader who will fight for every member of the community, regardless of their race, ethnicity, income or citizenship status.

People For the American Way has witnessed Larson’s career as a public servant blossom for nearly a decade. Larson’s political career began in 2008 at the age of 27 as a Milwaukee County Supervisor. Two years later, he was elected as a state senator. During that time, he’s demonstrated his ability to get the work done on the issues that matter most to the people of Wisconsin, like funding for public schools; accessible, affordable health care; clean water and workers’ bargaining rights.

For example, in 2011, when Republican legislators pushed a bill that would virtually kill Wisconsin’s public-sector unions, Larson didn’t back down. Instead, he stood up for working Wisconsinites and led a nearly month-long walkout with 13 other Democratic state senators. The “fighting 14” left the state, leaving the Senate one vote shy of a quorum and inspiring tens of thousands of working Wisconsinites to join them in protest. An estimated 100,000 convened again to thank the senators upon their homecoming. The most prominent refrain at that rally? “This is what democracy looks like.”

Larson is running on the same progressive values in his campaign for Milwaukee County Executive. He hasn’t accepted a single dollar from any corporate PAC, fossil fuel or dark money groups, and as he has proven in his previous roles, he is committed to using his seat to ensure a better quality of life for his constituents. 

The position of Milwaukee County Executive-- the second-highest executive position in the state-- governs the 952,000 people in the county and the $1.2 billion budget associated with it. Larson has promised to leverage that position and budget to end family homelessness, increase the county’s shared revenue, secure dedicated funding for transit, and protect and county enhance parks and senior centers.

Simply put, Chris Larson has a clear vision for the future, and it’s one in which every person in Milwaukee County has an equal chance at success. PFAW and our Next Up Victory Fund are proud to support dedicated young progressives as they tackle their communities’ challenges head-on. Chris Larson has long shown such leadership, and we’re proud to endorse him for Milwaukee County Executive.