A ‘hater’ or a helper for city?
Republican West Bend lawmaker looking to revitalize Milwaukee
West Bend — Bob Gannon is a tough-talking, pistol-packing suburban Republican politician who is out to prove his critics wrong.
A year ago, Gannon — who represents a West Bend district in the Assembly — issued a fiery news release about Milwaukee titled “Murder, Mayhem and Jobs.” Democrats were outraged and went to the Assembly floor to vent their anger.
Gannon listened, defended himself and later made an obscene gesture to Minority Leader Peter Barca of Kenosha. Gannon apologized for the gesture.
But when it comes to weighing in on urban issues, Gannon isn’t backing down.
In fact, he is doubling down, chairing a newly
formed state Assembly committee on urban revitalization.
Gannon said critics have called him a racist, a joker “and what was the last one, oh, a Milwaukee hater.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got news for them,” he said. “None of the above is true, and I’ll prove that with the work of this committee.”
Democrats are taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“If he can prove his critics wrong, including me, I will give him a chance,” said Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee), a member of Gannon’s
committee. “But as long as he’s going to continue to attack the city that I choose to live in, the city I raised my kids in, I’m going to push back on him.”
Rep. Jason Fields (DMilwaukee), vice chair of the urban revitalization committee, said he and Gannon are establishing “a good, positive relationship.” Fields said Gannon has assured him that he’s not anti-Milwaukee.
“I’ll take him for his word at that,” Fields said. “He has extended an olive branch.”
During a recent interview at his insurance office in West Bend, Gannon reviewed his career, laid out some broad concepts about the new committee and said he was interested in seeing how the state could help foster prosperity in big cities throughout Wisconsin.
“I want to hear from the people living in the neighborhoods: What is it that the State of Wisconsin should be doing to help improve their lives?” he said.
With his shaved head, booming laugh and direct speaking style, Gannon can dominate a room like a hard-charging salesman looking to close a deal.
Gannon, 58, grew up in a boisterous household as the seventh son in a family of nine boys and one girl. His father, Tom, was a factory worker and his mother, Jane, was a homemaker.
“When you have 10 children in a family, you learn how to take care of yourself,” Gannon said. “We were taught responsibility young. If you wanted something, you went out and worked. I delivered newspapers. I caddied. I cut lawns for people. We were expected to work and I always worked.”
He held a full-time factory job in the second half of his senior year at West Bend East High School. He also drove a truck for a few years for Waste Management before finding his niche in the insurance business.
Gannon is the owner of an independent insurance agency and also owns rental property.
“I’m very entrepreneurial. I like building things,” he said.
Gannon and his wife, Kris, have two grown children and a grandchild.
Gannon said he was always interested in politics, donating to local and state candidates. In 2014, a seat in the Assembly opened up and Gannon jumped in, winning the three-way Republican primary and running unopposed in the general election.
During his first term, Gannon earned a reputation as a verbal bombthrower who enraged Democrats and sometimes had Republican leaders rolling their eyes.
“I want to hear from the people living in the neighborhoods: What is it that the State of Wisconsin should be doing to help improve their lives?” REP. BOB GANNON (R-WEST BEND)
He also was among a handful of legislators to carry concealed weapons on the Assembly floor. Gannon typically carries a Ruger LCP .380 compact pistol that is tucked in a holster on his right hip.
To those who may be uncomfortable with concealed-carry firearms, Gannon said, “I don’t run into people who are uncomfortable because I do not talk about it, I don’t bring any attention to it. And I carry it in such a way that I don’t want for people to even know. The first time anybody should know I have a gun, if they’re a bad guy, is when they see the flash of the muzzle. And I expect in my lifetime that nobody will ever see that flash.
“I don’t expect that I will ever have to use it in self-defense,” he added.
Gannon said the idea of an urban revitalization committee grew out of a summer retreat for Republican lawmakers. As they began forming an agenda, many of the GOP members of the Assembly, including Gannon, expressed an interest in an urban agenda.
“It came from the Republicans statewide saying, ‘Something needs to be done,’ ” Gannon said.
Gannon said he kept the pressure on to make sure the idea wasn’t dropped, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (RRochester) assigned him to chair the committee.
“We are going to begin with no set expectations of what it is this committee will address,” Gannon said. “Some of the important things that we agree on is that this is not only about Milwaukee.”
Gannon said the committee will try to deal with issues that affect urban areas throughout the state. Among the issues Gannon listed were crime, joblessness, vacant housing and reintegrating exprisoners back into their communities.
Gannon sounded exuberant about the development taking place in downtown Milwaukee.
“Milwaukee is booming . ... It’s the coolest thing to watch. Cranes everywhere and construction.
And I voted yes on the basketball arena even though I’m not a friend of giving private money to businesses,” he said.
“I am so excited,” he said. “I go to the Third Ward. I go to Milwaukee. I love Milwaukee.”
But he’s troubled by the deteriorating residential neighborhoods just north of downtown.
Asked if he could understand why some residents in Milwaukee might be apprehensive that he is leading the committee, Gannon said, “No, I can’t.”
Gannon said he’s going on the road “looking for answers.”
Those who know Gannon say his tough talk often overshadows his commitment to helping others.
“Bob has a huge heart,” said Kathleen Christenson Fisher, executive director of Family Promise of Washington County. Gannon served on the board of the nonprofit that helps homeless families.
“He believes in helping people; he also believes in holding people accountable,” Fisher said. “He has demonstrated an ability to help families in need.”
Tiffany Koehler grew up in the Milwaukee area and ran against Gannon in the 2014 GOP primary. Had she won, she would have become the first African-American Republican woman in the Legislature. She now works in his Assembly office.
“He called me out of the blue and invited me to join his team. I thought it was an answered prayer,” said Koehler, who has been in remission for 14 months after undergoing treatment for stage 4 nonHodgkin’s lymphoma.
“Part of what people like about him is he is a straight shooter and he’s going to tell it like it is,” Koehler said.
Gannon isn’t promising any quick-fix solutions to problems that have been decades in the making.
“What can I get accomplished in the next session?” Gannon said. “It’s going to be small because of the length of time it has taken to create this problem. Can we finally admit that the war on poverty failed?”
“So, don’t expect me to turn it around” quickly, he added.
Asked if his blunt talk on poverty might rub some committee members the wrong way, Gannon said: “So, I’m not supposed to use the facts of the matter? If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not going to say something to make you feel better as a member of my committee. If you cannot handle the truth, then you better not go on this committee’s trips. Because the truth is going to be told by the residents of these neighborhoods.”