I’ve often made clear on my show who I support for a political office (like Ron Johnson’s reelection) but I have never actually used the word “endorsement” and made a public formal endorsement of a candidate. Until today.
I am endorsing Bob Donovan for state assembly in a contested Republican primary. The district has no incumbent because of the retirement of Mike Kuglitsch. It is centered in southwestern Milwaukee County in the Greenfield-Hales Corners area but covers parts of several municipalities in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. The district number is 84.
Donovan, the longtime former Milwaukee alderman and two-time candidate for mayor, has lived in Greenfield for several years. He’s running as a Republican but had support of both parties during his two decades in Milwaukee.
Donovan is opposed by David Karst, who is the longtime chair of the Milwaukee County Republican Party. On the issues, David and Bob agree on most things. So what separates the two? One is a tireless and fearlessly passionate fighter (that’s Donovan) and the other presides over the laziest county Republican Party in the state (Karst).
As Milwaukee has disintegrated into a crime infested city thanks to atrocious public policy decisions, Donovan again and again forcefully dissented. He spoke and fought while others, like Milwaukee’s business community, stood mute. The appeasement by some in Milwaukee is a mirror image of the pathetic performance of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature during the Evers years. Donovan will shake up the Assembly GOP caucus and it’s hard to imagine a group of Republicans in greater need of being shook up (with the possible exception of the state senate). We conservatives need a strong-willed fighter; not another slumbering back bench quitter.
Under Karst’s leadership, the Milwaukee GOP has been invisible. Even though the county is a Democrat stronghold, THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTY OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS IN THE STATE IS MILWAUKEE COUNTY. Thousands of potential Milwaukee County GOP votes are lost because of the lack of engagement by the county party. While the Waukesha County GOP did yeoman work in electing dozens of local officials in the April municipal election, Karst’s Milwaukee County GOP did nothing. Zip. Conservatives running in tight local races were orphaned by the lazy Karst-led Milwaukee GOP.
I suspect if Karst is elected to the assembly, he’ll be the same type of legislator as he is county party chair—invisible, apathetic and entitled.
Bob Donovan has been fighting for causes I agree with for years. David Karst, so far as I can tell, has never lifted a finger.
I’m endorsing Donovan for the state assembly.
Mark Belling June 10, 2022
