State Sen. Chris Larson will not run for Milwaukee mayor
State Sen. Chris Larson will not be jumping into the crowded race for Milwaukee mayor, he told the Journal Sentinel Thursday.
On Dec. 28, he said he was “strongly considering” a run.
“The timeline was just too short to put a solid campaign together in a way we could be proud of,” he said via text message.
Former Mayor Tom Barrett resigned in late December to take a post as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, launching a short campaign to fill the remaining two years of his term.
It’s rare that a race for the city’s top political job would not have an incumbent, given the lengthy terms that Milwaukee mayors tend to serve.
Candidates have from Dec. 23 until 5 p.m. Tuesday to gather 1,500 signatures needed to get on the ballot.
A mayoral primary will be held Feb. 15 and an election will be held April 5, in conjunction with already-scheduled election dates.
Those who have filed papers to run are Common Council President and Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic, former Ald. Bob Donovan,
Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas, state Sen. Lena Taylor and City Attorney Tearman Spencer.
Other names in the race are Nick McVey, Sheila Conley-Patterson, Michael Sampson, Joel Paplham and Wenona Lee Gardner.
Larson served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from 2008 to 2010, when he was elected to the state Senate.
He also unsuccessfully ran for Milwaukee County executive in 2020 and 2016, coming in first in the primary only to fall short in the general election.
“The timeline was just too short to put a solid campaign together in a way we could be proud of.” State Sen. Chris Larson