Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry said he will invest in his race, but will not self-fund.
Lasry, the son of Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, a hedge fund billionaire, said he wants to “build a great grassroots campaign from the bottom up.”
Lasry, in an interview that aired yesterday on “UpFront,” also said he would not accept corporate PAC money. “UpFront” is produced in a partnership with WisPolitics.com.
Host Adrienne Pedersen asked Lasry — a Milwaukee Bucks executive who plans to take a leave of absence from the team for his campaign — how a New York native with a privileged lifestyle could represent Wisconsin residents.
Lasry said if elected he would be “someone who is actually going to be able to deliver results on their behalf.”
“We’re not just talking about a $15 minimum wage. We’re actually paying it. We’re showing that you can actually grow a business with paying a $15 minimum wage. We’re not just talking about good union jobs; we’ve created thousands of them. We’re not just talking about racial and social justice; we’ve been on the front lines,” Lasry said.
“Unfortunately, (Republican incumbent) Ron Johnson over the last 10 years hasn’t done anything, other than peddle in conspiracy theory and lies. And I think we need something different and I think the people of Wisconsin deserve something different,” Lasry said.
Also on the program, two lawmakers who serve on the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee agreed corrections reform is needed in Wisconsin, but differed on how to go about it.
Dem Gov. Tony Evers proposed criminal justice reform in his 2021-2023 budget, including moving 17-year-old defendants back into the juvenile system from adult corrections.
Dem Sen. LaTonya Johnson, a Joint Finance Committee member from Milwaukee, said that is necessary because children in the juvenile system have access to more programming and educational opportunities.
She said that would help deter recidivism and “treat children as children.”
Republican Sen. Dale Kooyenga, a Joint Finance member from Brookfield, said “there’s a lot of support on the Republican side for corrections reform.”
“The question is, should this be in the budget?” Kooyenga said. “I think the position of the Republicans will be, we want to look at that, we’re serious about reforms, but that should be looked upon outside the budget process.”
The two also discussed the governor’s proposals for education funding; substantially repealing the Act 10 collective bargaining law; and marijuana legalization.
See more from the program and the entire interview online:
https://www.wisn.com/upfront
