Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry is running for U.S. Senate
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- Senior Vice President for the Milwaukee Bucks, Alex Lasry, announced he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, stating "it’s time to elect people with fresh perspectives."
Democrat Lasry made the announcement online at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The seat is currently held by Republican Ron Johnson. Johnson has yet to announce a run for a third term.
In an interview with CBS 58, Lasry said he aims to bring fresh perspective to the Senate.
“I think what we need is a candidate and someone in Washington who is going to represent the people of Wisconsin,” Lasry said.
Lasry has notable achievements in Milwaukee, such as helping bring the DNC to Milwaukee and certifying that Fiserv Forum was created with Wisconsin union workers and are paid a minimum of $15 an hour.
The 33-year-old former Obama White House aide said he hopes his work with the Bucks and Milwaukee community builds support among voters.
“We’re not just talking about a $15 minimum wage, we’re paying it,” Lasry told CBS 58. “We’re not talking about union jobs, we’ve done it and we’ve created thousands of them. We’re not just talking about racial and social justice, we’ve been on the front lines.”
Democratic Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson also announced he is a candidate in the race.
Lasry’s campaign video showed endorsements from Milwaukee leaders like County Executive David Crowley and Common Council President Cavalier Johnson as well as DNC members.
Lasry is the son of Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry who, according to Forbes, has a net worth of $1.8 billion.
Sen. Ron Johnson, who has yet to announce if he will seek a third term, released a statement saying: “33-year-old New Yorker Alex Lasry is the kind of guy who used his wealth and connections to cut the line to get a COVID shot before more vulnerable Wisconsinites. What more do you need to know about him?”
Johnson was referring to Lasry receiving a vaccine dose last month that was at risk of being thrown out unused.
Lasry called Johnson’s statement “mudslinging.”
The Republican Party of Wisconsin also criticized Lasry’s wealth.
“Alex Lasry is a spoiled trust fund baby who has been able to skate through life thanks to his father’s wealth and connections,” Communications Director Anna Kelly said in a statement. “He’s used his privilege to jump in front of senior citizens in line to get a coronavirus vaccine and now he’s hoping daddy’s New York money can buy him Wisconsin’s Senate seat.”
Political experts expect the race for the Senate seat to be very competitive as it has national implications.
“The Wisconsin Senate race will be one of the really most hotly contested and close races for the control of the Senate in 2022,” David Canon, a political science professor at UW-Madison told CBS 58. “Right now, obviously, with the 50-50 split in the Senate, the control of the Senate is very much up for grabs.”
You can watch the full campaign video here.