By Sheila D. Cochran
Retired Secretary Treasurer
C.O.O. of Milwaukee Area Labor Council
Chris Larson
Why is Donald Trump’s hand-picked Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and her group suddenly spending money on a local race in Milwaukee? Why are they so interested in who serves as our next Milwaukee County Executive? Why am I seeing a flood of ads whenever I go online or play an online game? I don’t know and I don’t want to find out. That’s why I’m voting for Chris Larson, the person they’re trying to push down.
What is in this for Trump and DeVos? What do they think they’re going to get? I don’t know. But I know his opponent has yet to disavow it. But let me tell you what I do know: we can trust State Senator Chris Larson because he has been a fighter for us.
From the very start of his career, Chris Larson has made the fight against segregation, injustice, and inequality his biggest mission. He’s fought for workers, for better wages, and for more affordable health care. He doesn’t just talk the talk – he walks the walk.
I’ve seen it firsthand. He stood with us. You can see it in how he traveled to the Wisconsin State Capitol, stood up to Scott Walker, and did everything in his power to stop them from their attacks on workers, including leaving the state to prevent a vote for 22 days. He traveled the state to hold them accountable for their actions and helped recall 3 state senators before he was elected to be Senate Democratic Leader.
Chris Larson gets that labor rights are a racial justice issue when the public sector is one of the biggest employers of black men and women.
You can see it in how he’s fought for public education. Chris Larson is the lead sponsor of a bill to stop hundreds of millions of dollars from being funneled away from our public schools. This might be the bill that helped provoke Trump and Betsy DeVos to launch a well-funded campaign against him. If that isn’t the ultimate endorsement, I don’t know what is.
Finally, you can see it in how Chris Larson has centered racial equity in each and every part of his platform for County Executive. From his pledge to end family homelessness to his vow to do a top-to-bottom analysis of the county’s contracts and procurement process with an eye to eradicate discrimination. You can see it all laid out for the world to see at www.voteforlarson.org
I have my absentee ballot and I just voted for Chris Larson. I hope you’ll join me in supporting him and voting against the Trump agenda.
In the middle of one of the worst crises our county has ever seen, we need a steady hand with experience governing to lead us. I’m not sure what Trump and DeVos think they’re going to get for all that money but I hope we never find out. Chris Larson has stood up for our communities for more than a decade as a County Supervisor and State Senator. He’s the right choice for Milwaukee County Executive.