Earlier today Democratic State Senator Chris Larson announce he will be challenging incumbent County Executive Chris Abele, also a Democrat.
It’s notable that among Larson’s early supporters is Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Milwuakee, who was previously a supporter of Chris Abele.
In a sign of a coming split among Democrats, state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee is announcing a challenge to Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele on Monday with one of Abele’s highest-profile former supporters at his side.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, a Milwaukee Democrat and former Abele backer, is putting her support behind Larson, giving some heft to his campaign and a potential draw on Milwaukee’s African-American vote.
In an interview, Moore said that Abele had focused too much time on amassing power and undermining enemies on the County Board, rather than working with other Democrats to uplift the county’s deeply impoverished core.
“I’ve been very, very disappointed that Chris Abele has really not met my expectations in terms of providing these (social) services and doing it in a democratic way,” Moore said. “It pains me because I like Chris Abele. He’s smart, but I think he’s a benevolent dictator.”
While Chris Larson will no doubt have an uphill battle if he’s going to defeat Chris Abele – a man who can throw millions of dollars of his family’s money into a race – beating an entrenched incumbent from his own party isn’t new territory for Larson. After all, Larson beat then-incumbent State Sen. Jeff Plale in the 2010 Democratic primary for the seat Larson now holds, so he’s certainly demonstrated an ability to defy the odds and win a tough race.
With Mike Tate running Abele’s campaign, Larson is a shoe-in.